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One of the ancient Viking cod bones of Haithabu used in research
RAKYATKU.COM - Norway is one of the countries famous for its fish trade. The country often catches from Arctic waters exported throughout Europe, from British fish and chips to Spanish bacalao soup.
Now, a new study published today in the journal PNAS shows that some of this form of trade in Europe has been going on for about 1,000 years.
Recent research from the Universities of Cambridge and Oslo, and the Center for Baltic and Scandinavian Archeology at Schleswig, uses ancient DNA derived from the remains of the Viking trout fish.
The study analyzes five cod bones dating from between 800 and 1066 AD found in the former Haithabu dock mud, a medieval trading port in the Baltic. Haithabu is now a heritage site in modern Germany, but at that time ruled by the King of Denmark.
The DNA of these cod bones contains the genetic signatures seen in Arctic stocks that swim off the coast of Lofoten: the northern islands are still the center of the Norwegian fishery industry.
The researchers say the findings suggest that stockfish 'stockpiles - popular codfish dishes to date - are transported as far as a thousand miles from northern Norway to the Baltic Sea during the Viking era.
Prior to the latest study, there was no archaeological or historical evidence of European mumps trade prior to the 12th century.
While future work will see the rest of the fish further, the small size of the current study prevents researchers from determining whether the cod is transported for trading or only used as sustenance for a voyage from Norway.
"The traded fish is one of the first commodities to start knitting the European continent economically," said Dr. James Barrett, senior author of the study from the Cambridge University's Institute of Archaeological Research at Cambridge.
"Haithabu was an important trade center during the early medieval period, where the north meets south, kafir meet with Christians, and those who use coins meet those who use silver by weight."
"By extracting and sequencing DNA from the remains of fish bones from ancient cargoes in Haithabu, we have been able to trace their food sources back to the cod population living in the Barents Sea, but come to spawn off Lofoten beach in Norway every winter.
"The stock of these arctic codfish is still very valuable - caught and exported throughout Europe today.Our findings suggest that distant requirements for this Arctic protein have already begun to affect European economics and ecology during the Viking era."
Stockfish are white fish preserved by a unique climate in northern Norway, where winter temperatures drift around the freezing point. Cod traditionally depends on the wooden frame for cold air to dry the fish.
The research team believes that the new findings offer some corroborating evidence on a unique 9th century record of the journey from Ohthere from Hålogaland.
Source story : rakyatku.com
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