Fishing in the Northern Isles: a Case Study Based on Fish Bone Assemblages from Two Multi-period Sites on Sanday, Orkney

At Tofts Ness and Pool, Sanday, Orkney, fish bones dating from the Neolithic through to the 11th century have been excavated, providing an opportunity to examine the development of fishing through prehistory and through the critical period of Viking colonisation, when it has been argued that commercial fishing began on Orkney. It appears that even in the Neolithic some fishing may have been conducted away from the shore, and that fish may have provided more than just basic nutrition. Around the time of Viking colonisation fishing became more specialised, but so far there is no evidence of commercial fishing on Sanday.