EAA STUDENT AWARD 2018

The European Association of Archaeologists awards the 2018 Student Award to Hanna Kivikero of the University of Helsinki for her paper Accessing waterbirds: a perspective into zooarchaeological assemblages and tax records in castles Kastelholm and Raseborg in the northern Baltic Sea

This paper explores the economic role and value of water-birds in the economy of the castles at Kastelholm and at Raseborg in the northern Baltic Sea area. The study is based on a comparison of written castle tax accounts from the mid-16th century and zooarchaeological assemblages recovered at the two sites. Water-birds appear to have been seasonal foodstuffs, obtained mainly for high-status consumption. The two castles had different economic interests in, and ways to obtain, water-birds, which is evident in the species representation of the zooarchaeological record. At Raseborg, water-birds seem only to have been consumed in the castle. From Kastelhom, water-birds were also transported to the castle of Stockholm, the King’s residence, and could therefore have had a wider market value.

This paper represents a very good piece of research, which carefully combines zooarchaeological analysis with documentary data. The two castles are successfully compared and contrasted. The zooarchaeological data are presented well, and the paper as a whole is well organised, beginning with an excellent abstract.

We congratulate Hanna Kivikero and look forward to the presentation and publication of her paper.

Professor Robin Skeates

Chair of the European Association of Archaeologists’ Student Award Committee