I am an environmental archaeologist who specializes in Zooarchaeology to study past human and environmental interactions and how past human behavior can better inform our presence and future actions. I am a longstanding member of the North Atlantic Biocultural Organization (NABO, www.nabohome.org) and the Global Human Ecodynamics Association (GHEA, www.gheahome.org) and have been actively involved with archaeological projects in the North Atlantic for more than two decades. I am part of the IHOPE-hosted effort to address threats to Heritage and Long Term Observing Networks of the Past (DONOP) brought by Global Climate Change (http://ihopenet.org/global-environmental-change-threats-to-heritage-and-...).

Since my appointment to the University of Bergen in October 2015 I have continuously expanded my research and research collaborations and my effort to inspire students to engage in the archaeology of long-term human ecodynamics of the North Atlantic and global issues concerning human-environment impacts.

 

Current interdisciplinary research projects where we collaborate on long-term Human-Environment interactions on Land and Sea.

Two Valleys Power: Power, wealth and the plague in Svarfaðardalur and Hörgárdalur 870 - 1500

https://twovalleys.hi.is/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069190841955&ref=page_internal

 

SEACHANGE: Setting new baselines for understanding oceanenvironmental change

https://seachange-erc.eu/

 

MARGAIN: Marine resource gathering and infrastructure in the Norse North Atlantic

https://www.uis.no/en/archaeology/10-million-nok-for-research-on-under-explored-marine-resources?fbclid=IwAR3FoDNTOCdPznaLcpbgnHcQbFdGri32lZYX_YXyGO2nzMnU3qTesmWNQvU

ARK 100

ARK 113

ARK 214

ARK 210

ARK 301

ARK 302

ARK 305

Academic anthology/Conference proceedings

• Harrison, Ramona; Roberts, Howell M. (2022). Skuggi Landnám Farm and Site Economy in Transition: An Assessment of the Structure A and Household Midden Remains from the Viking Age to the Medieval Period. (external link)
• Harrison, Ramona; Maher, Ruth (2014). Human Ecodynamics in the North Atlantic: A Collaborative Model of Humans and Nature through Space and Time.. (external link)

Academic article

• Frasier, Brenna A.; Springate, Leah; Frasier, Timothy R. et al. (2022). Genetic examination of historical North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) bone specimens from the eastern North Atlantic: Insights into species history, transoceanic population structure, and genetic diversity. (external link)
• Ólafsdóttir, Guðbjörg Ásta; Edvardsson, Ragnar; Timsic, Sandra et al. (2021). A millennium of trophic stability in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): transition to a lower and converging trophic niche in modern times. (external link)
• Pal Chowdhury, Manasij; Choudhury, Kaustabh Datta; Bouchard, Geneviève Pothier et al. (2021). Machine learning ATR-FTIR spectroscopy data for the screening of collagen for ZooMS analysis and mtDNA in archaeological bone. (external link)
• Hambrecht, George; Feeley, Frank; Smiarowski, Konrad et al. (2019). A millennium of Icelandic archaeological fish data examined against marine climate records. (external link)
• Ameen, Carly; Feuerborn, Tatiana R.; Brown, Sarah K. et al. (2019). Specialized sledge dogs accompanied Inuit dispersal across the North American Arctic. (external link)
• Hambrecht, George; Anderung, Cecilia; Brewington, Seth et al. (2018). Archaeological Sites as Distributed Long-term Observing Networks of the Past (DONOP). (external link)
• Brewington, Seth; Hicks, Megan; Edwald, Ágústa et al. (2015). Islands of change vs. islands of disaster: managing pigs and birds in the Anthropocene of the North Atlantic.. (external link)
• Frei, Karin; Coutu, Ashley; Smiarowski, Konrad et al. (2015). Was it for walrus? Viking Age settlement and medieval walrus ivory trade in Iceland and Greenland. (external link)
• Harrison, Ramona; Snæsdóttir, Mjöll (2012). Urbanization in Reykjavík: Post medieval Archaeofauna from the Downtown Area. (external link)
• Harrison, Ramona (2010). Small Holder Farming in Early Medieval Iceland: Skuggi in Hörgárdalur. (external link)

Academic chapter/article/Conference paper

• Maher, Ruth; Harrison, Ramona (2014). Humans - a Force of Nature.. (external link)
• McGovern, Thomas H.; Harrison, Ramona; Smiarowski, Konrad (2014). Sorting Sheep & Goats in Medieval Iceland and Greenland: Local Subsistence or World System?. (external link)
• Harrison, Ramona (2014). Connecting the land to the sea at Gásir: International Exchange and Long-term Eyjafjörður Ecodynamics in medieval Iceland.. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Selected Peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and monographs

Smiarowski, K., R. Harrison, S. Brewington, M. Hicks, F. J. Feeley, C. Dupont-Hebert, B. Prehal, G. Hambrecht, J. Woollett, T. H. McGovern. (in press – publication target: Autumn 2016). Zooarchaeology of the Scandinavian Settlements in Iceland and Greenland: Diverging Pathways. In Albarella, U., H. Russ, K. Vickers & S. Viner-Daniels (eds.), Handbook of Zooarchaeology. Oxford University Press.

Karin M. Frei, Ashley N. Coutu, Konrad Smiarowski, Ramona Harrison, Christian K. Madsen, Jette Arneborg, Robert Frei, Gardar Guðmundsson, Søren M. Sindbæk, James Woollett, Steven Hartman, Megan Hicks & Thomas H. McGovern (2015): Was it for walrus? Viking Age settlement and medieval walrus ivory trade in Iceland and Greenland, World Archaeology, DOI: 10.1080/00438243.2015.1025912

Harrison, R. 2014. Connecting the land to the sea at Gásir: International Exchange and Long-term Eyjafjörður Ecodynamics in medieval Iceland. In Harrison, R. & Maher, R. (eds.). Human Ecodynamics in the North Atlantic: A Collaborative Model of Humans and Nature through Space and Time. Lexington Publishers, Lanham, Maryland, pp. 117-136.

Maher, R. A. and R. Harrison. 2014. Humans - a Force of Nature. In Harrison, R. & Maher, R. (eds.). Human Ecodynamics in the North Atlantic: A Collaborative Model of Humans and Nature through Space and Time. Lexington Publishers, Lanham, Maryland, pp. 1-19.

McGovern, T.H., R. Harrison, K. Smiarowski. 2014. Sorting Sheep & Goats in Medieval Iceland and Greenland: Local Subsistence or World System?  In Harrison, R. & Maher, R. (eds.). Human Ecodynamics in the North Atlantic: A Collaborative Model of Humans and Nature through Space and Time Lexington Publishers, Lanham, Maryland, pp. 153-176.

Harrison, R. & M. Snæsdóttir. 2012. Urbanization in Reykjavík: Post medieval Archaeofauna from the Downtown Area. In JONA (Journal of the North Atlantic) 19, pp. 1-17. Eagle Hill Foundation.

Harrison, R. 2010. Small Holder Farming in Early Medieval Iceland: Skuggi in Hörgárdalur. In Gavin Lucas (ed.).  Archaeologica Islandica, pp.51-76, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Harrison, R., H. M. Roberts, W. P. Adderley. 2008. Gásir in Eyjafjörður: International Exchange and Local Economy in Medieval Iceland. Journal of the North Atlantic 1 (1):99-119. Eagle Hill.

Selected Field-and Zooarchaeological Reports

Harrison, R., and H. M. Roberts. 2014. Investigations into the Gásir Hinterlands and Eyjafjörður Human Ecodynamics: Preliminary Field Report of the 2013 Skuggi and Staðartunga Excavations in Hörgárdalur, Eyjafjörður. Report: FS538-06384, FSÍ, Reykjavík and CUNY NORSEC, New York.

Harrison, R. 2014. The Siglunes 2011/12 Archaeofauna. Interim Report on the Fishing Station’s Sampled Faunal Remains. NORSEC/HERC Zooarchaeology Laboratory Report No. 62.

Harrison, R. 2011. Oddstaðir in Hörgárdalur, N. Iceland: Preliminary Report of the 2009 Archaeofauna. NORSEC/HERC Zooarchaeology Laboratory Report No. 58. www.nabohome.org

Harrison, R. 2011. Möðruvellir in Hörgárdalur, N. Iceland: General Overview of the Faunal Remains Analysed from the 2006-08 Midden Mound Excavations. NORSEC/HERC Zooarchaeology Laboratory Report No. 59. Download at www.nabohome.org

Harrison, R. (edt.). 2010. Gásir Hinterlands Project 2009: Midden Prospection and Excavation. FS440-06384, FSÍ, Reykjavík and NORSEC, New York. Download at www.nabohome.org

Harrison, R. 2010. Skuggi in Hörgárdalur, N. Iceland: Preliminary report of the 2008/2009 archaeofauna. NORSEC lab report Nr. 50.  Download at www.nabohome.org

Konrad Smiarowski & R. Harrison. 2009. Establishing Age and Season of Death from Incremental Annual and Seasonal Dentine & Cementum Layers of Phocid Teeth - A Practicum at the Laboratory for Prehistory & Bioarchaeology at Laval University, Québec City, Canada, December 2009.

Roberts, Howell M., O. Vésteinsson, T. Brorsson, H. Konráðsdóttir, R. Harrison, S. Ólafsson, G. A. Gísladóttir & M. Snæsdóttir. 2009. Gásir Post Excavation Reports -I. FS423-010712, FSI, Reykjavik

Harrison, R. 2009. The Gásir Area A Archaeofauna: An Update of the Results from the Faunal Analysis of the High Medieval Trading Site in Eyjafjörður, N Iceland. NORSEC lab report Nr. 44.

Harrison, R. 2008. Midden Excavation at Möðruvellir, and Prospection in Hörgárdalur: Interim Field Report, Gásir Hinterlands Project 2008. FS402-06383, FSÍ, Reykjavík and NORSEC, CUNY.

Harrison, R. 2011. Oddstaðir in Hörgárdalur, N. Iceland: Preliminary Report of the 2009 Archaeofauna. NORSEC/HERC Zooarchaeology Laboratory Report No. 58. www.nabohome.org

Harrison, R., F. Feeley, M. Gorsline, M. Hicks & S. Mitrovic. 2007. Interim Report of Faunal Analysis from the 2005 Excavation at Aðalstræti Nr. 10. Reykjavík, Iceland. NORSEC lab report Nr 40. Monograph result of supervision of postgraduate students from the 2007 Zooarchaeology Seminar.

Harrison, R. The medieval trading station at Gásir, Eyjafjörður, N Iceland: Interim Report of faunal analysis from the 2006 Excavations. NORSEC lab report # 30.  Also in: Excavations at Gásir 2006: An Interim Report/Framvinduskýrsla. Lilja Björk Pálsdóttir and Howell Roberts (eds). FS355 -010710, July 2007, Reykjavík, Iceland.

 

Two Valleys Project: Power, wealth and the plague intwo valleys

Project co-leader, Icelandic Research Council (RANNÍS) Grant of Excellence 

https://twovalleys.hi.is/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069190841955&ref=page_internal  

 

 

SEACHANGE - Quantifying the impact of major cultural transitions on marine ecosystem functioning and biodiversity

Project Partner (WP 4), ERC Synergy Grant, part of EU´s research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020.

https://seachange-erc.eu/people

https://seachange-erc.eu/research/wp4-research

 

CIE (Comparative Islands Ecodynamics) - Investigating Vatnahverfi Settlement History of the Greenlandic Norse

Project Management, Project Direction, Excavation, post-excavation

IPY - Hörgárdalur Investigations at VA and medieval farm sites Skuggi, Oddstaðir, and Staðartunga, N Iceland.

Gásir Hinterlands Project (GHP)

Siglunes Rescue and Research Project