Albína Hulda Pálsdóttir

PhD Candidate

Background

I am a zooarchaeologist from Iceland and joined CEES as a PhD student in December 2016. My advisers are Dr Sanne Boessenkool & Dr Nils Chr. Stenseth, CEES, University of Oslo, Dr Jón Hallsteinn Hallsson, Agricultural University of Iceland and Dr Juha Kantanen, Natural Resources Institute Finland. The project I am working on is “The Sheep and Horses of the Vikings: Archaeogenomics of Domesticates in the North Atlantic” and it is very interdisciplinary in nature and will use both traditional zooarchaeology and ancient DNA analysis. I am interested in understanding the origin of the horse- and sheep breeds of the North Atlantic as well as the impact of climate and cultural adaptation on their genetic makeup. For the project I will be selecting Viking Age sheep and horse bones from Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, the British Isles and more.

I have a husband and young daughter in Iceland so I will be based at the Agricultural University in Reykjavík during my PhD. I will be staying at CEES from January 2017 training in lab work and I will be at CEES regularly over the next years for lab work, data analysis and courses.

I completed my MA in zooarchaeology at Hunter College, The City University of New York in 2008 and before that a BA in Archaeology from the University of Iceland in 2005.

Tags: Zooarchaeology, Ancient DNA, aDNA, Viking Age, North Atlantic, Domestic mammals, Nordic, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Denmark

Publications

  • Barrett, James; Khamaiko, Natalia; Ferrari, Giada; Cuevas, Angelica; Kneale, Catherine & Hufthammer, Anne Karin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Walruses on the Dnieper: new evidence for the intercontinental trade of Greenlandic ivory in the Middle Ages. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 289(1972), p. 1–9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2773. Full text in Research Archive
  • Smith, Kevin P.; Ólafsson, Guðmundur; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Sigurðsson, Magnús A. (2021). Hallmundarhellir – víggirtur hellir frá Sturlungaöld. Árbók hins Íslenzka fornleifafélags. ISSN 0256-8462. 110, p. 117–160.
  • Smith, Kevin P.; Ólafsson, Guðmundur & Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2021). Ritual responses to catastrophic volcanism in Viking Age Iceland: Reconsidering Surtshellir Cave through Bayesian analyses of AMS dates, tephrochronology, and texts. Journal of Archaeological Science. ISSN 0305-4403. 126, p. 1–20. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2020.105316. Full text in Research Archive
  • Ferrari, Giada; Cuevas, Angelica; Wyrozemska, Agata Teresa; Ballantyne, Rachel; Kersten, Oliver & Palsdottir, Albina Hulda [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2021). The preservation of ancient DNA in archaeological fish bone. Journal of Archaeological Science. ISSN 0305-4403. 126. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2020.105317. Full text in Research Archive
  • Ameen, Carly; Feuerborn, Tatiana R.; Brown, Sarah K.; Linderholm, Anna; Hulme-Beaman, Ardern & Lebrasseur, Ophélie [Show all 59 contributors for this article] (2019). Specialized sledge dogs accompanied Inuit dispersal across the North American Arctic. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 286:20291929(1929), p. 1–10. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1929. Full text in Research Archive
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Bläuer, Auli; Rannamäe, Eve; Boessenkool, Sanne & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn (2019). Not a limitless resource: ethics and guidelines for destructive sampling of archaeofaunal remains. Royal Society Open Science. ISSN 2054-5703. 6(10), p. 1–11. doi: 10.1098/rsos.191059. Full text in Research Archive
  • Fages, Antoine; Hanghøj, Kristian; Khan, Naveed; Gaunitz, Charleen; Seguin-Orlando, Andaine & Leonardi, Michela [Show all 121 contributors for this article] (2019). Tracking Five Millennia of Horse Management with Extensive Ancient Genome Time Series. Cell. ISSN 0092-8674. 177(6), p. 1419–1435. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.049. Full text in Research Archive
  • Lucas, Gavin; Ólafsson, Guðmundur; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Skarphéðinsson, Indriði (2019). From fisherman’s cottage to summerhouse towards an archaeology of poverty and affluence in early twentieth century Iceland . Arcaeologia Islandica. ISSN 1560-8026. 13, p. 95–132.
  • Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Gondek, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Sexing Viking Age horses from burial and non-burial sites in Iceland using ancient DNA. Journal of Archaeological Science. ISSN 0305-4403. 101, p. 115–122. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2018.11.007. Full text in Research Archive

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  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2022). Rostungsbein sem enduðu í Kænugarði fyrir þúsund árum fóru líklega um Ísland. [Internet]. visir.is.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2022). Víkingar seldu grænlenskar rostungstennur til Kænugarðs. [TV]. Stöð 2 fréttir.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2021). Ancient DNA analysis of sheep from Norse Greenland.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2021). Uppruni og erfðir íslensku sauðkindarinnar. . [Radio]. RÚV - Rás 1.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). The tangled history of sheep in the North Atlantic revealed through ancient DNA.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Kersten, Oliver; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Genetic history of sheep in the North Atlantic from the Viking Age to modern breeds.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2021). Ancient DNA on Viking sheep from the North Atlantic and Ethical Approaches to Destructive Sampling of Animal Bones.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2020). “Han-heste fik skåret halsen over ved vikingernes grave [Male horses were killed at Viking burial sites]”. [Journal]. Tölt: Dansk Islandshesteforening.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2020). The importance of recording petrous bones in archaeofaunal collections. ICAZ (International Council for Archaeozoology) Newsletter. 20(1), p. 31–32.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). Vatnsvik, Þingvallavatn from Iceland, The animal bones found in Vatnsvik, lake Þingvallavatn, Iceland. Open Context.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Leifsson, Rúnar (2019). Participant in the podcast ArchaeoAnimals, A Horse, Of Course - Ep 09. [Internet]. ArchaeoAnimals podcast.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn (2019). Merkilegar rannsóknir á uppruna og sögu tamda hestsins. [Internet]. Hestamennska.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). Hvað er hægt að gera við 340 dýrabeinagrindur? Samanburðarsafn í dýrabeinafornleifafræði við Landbúnaðarháskóla Íslands.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Wyrozemska, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Kyngreining á hrossum úr kumlum með forn-DNA Hestar lagðir í kuml á Íslandi á víkingaöld.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Boessenkool, Sanne (2019). Viking sheep of the North Atlantic: Origins & genetic heritage.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha; Stenseth, Nils Chr. & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). The Sheep Saga: Archaeogenomics of Viking Age sheep in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). Hverjar eru elstu þekktu leifar um ketti á Norðurlöndum? Vísindavefurinn.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Leifsson, Rúnar; Orlando, Ludovic; Barrett, James H. & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Fornleifarannsóknir: Hryssur ekki valdar í kuml. [Newspaper]. Austurglugginn.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). Reindeer Cyclones Are Real, and You Definitely Don't Want to Get Caught in One. [Internet]. LiveScience website.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Wyrozemska, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Kyngreining á hrossum úr kumlum með fornDNA.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Powerful Icelandic Vikings were buried with stallions. [Internet]. phys.org.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Lítið um hryss­ur í kuml­um vík­inga. [Internet]. mbl.is.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Powerful Icelandic Vikings were buried with stallions. [Internet]. Heritage daily.
  • Leifsson, Rúnar; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Horses buried with Icelandic Viking nobles were male, ancient DNA shows. [Internet]. CBC news.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Burials Suggest Icelandic Vikings Had a Thing for Stallions . [Internet]. www.smithsonianmag.com.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Star, Bastiaan & Barrett, James H. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Ancient Horse DNA From Burial Sites In Iceland Suggests That Viking Age Warriors Preferred Male Horses. [Internet]. www.inquisitr.com.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). POWERFUL MALE VIKINGS WERE BURIED WITH THEIR POWERFUL MALE HORSES. [Internet]. Newsweek.com.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Ancient DNA from Viking Graves Proves the Fierce Fighters Rode Male Horses. [Internet]. https://www.livescience.com/64432-vikings-buried-with-stalli.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Lítið um hryssur í kumlum víkinga. [Newspaper]. Morgunblaðið.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). Wild Way of the Vikings by Marmedia . [TV]. Wild Way of the Vikings by Marmedia .
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Gondek, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Which horse should we sacrifice? Sex as a determining factor for the selection of horses in Viking Age burials in Iceland.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2018). Icelandic ZooArch.
  • Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Gondek, Agata; Leifsson, Rúnar & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2018). Viking Horses of the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2018). Ancient ‘Iceman’ shows signs of a well-balanced last meal. [Internet]. AP news, Associated Press.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2018). Insides of ancient 'Iceman' shows signs of a well-balanced last meal. [Internet]. NBC Newa.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Folum fórnað. [Internet]. Bændablaðið online.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne; Barrett, James H.; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Mektige islandske vikinger fikk hingster med seg i graven. [Internet]. Titan.no.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne; Barrett, James H.; Leifsson, Rúnar; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Powerful Icelandic Vikings were buried with stallions. [Internet]. Titan.no.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2018). Sauðkindin og dýrabeinafornleifafræði (The Zooarchaeology of the Icelandic Sheep).
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Joensen, Christina (2018). Icelandic ZooArch laboratory website https://www.icelandiczooarch.is/.
  • Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Gondek, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2018). Sexing Viking Age horses from burial and non-burial sites in Iceland using ancient DNA.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Weldenegodguad, Melak; Kantanen, Juha; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Boessenkool, Sanne (2018). Viking Age Sheep in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Blauer, Auli & Rannamäe, Eva (2018). Sample now or save for later? Destructive sampling of archaeological animal remains.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Weldenegodguad, Melak; Kantanen, Juha; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Boessenkool, Sanne (2018). Archaeogenomics of Viking Age Sheep in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2018). Sheep vs Goats - Ep04 https://www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/animals/04. [Internet]. ArchaeoAnimals podcast.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2017). The Archaeogenomics of Viking sheep: Project update.
  • Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2017). Viking origin of native breeds in the North Atlantic? .
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2017). Sample now or save for later? Destructive analysis of domesticate bones from archaeofaunal collections.
  • Kool, Anneleen; Grønbech, Marit Elisabeth; Bøckman, Petter; Ekrem, Gry; Teixidor Toneu, Irene & Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2017). Vikingdagen i Botanisk Hage.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2017). The Sheep and Horses of the Vikings: Archaeogenomics of Domesticates in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2017). THE ORIGINS OF ICELANDIC HORSES AND SHEEP WITH GRANDMA’S ICELANDIC LAMB SADDLE RECIPE. [Internet]. Cooking with Archaeologists.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Arge, Símun V. (2017). Fornílegur hjá húsdjórum í útnorðri, ein verkætlan http://savn.fo/00006/01261/. [Internet]. Sovn landsins/Faroese National Heritage website.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2016). Livestock movements in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2016). Hestar og sauðfé víkinganna: Fornerfðafræði húsdýra í Norður-Atlantshafi .
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2016). Livestock movements in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2016). The Sheep and Horses of the Vikings: Archaeogenomics of Domesticates in the North Atlantic.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2021). The Ancient Roots of Árbær – Animal bones: Interim report 2021. Íslenskar fornleifarannsóknir ehf og Icelandic ZooArch Reykjavík. ISSN 978-9935-9641-1-3.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne & Star, Bastiaan (2021). Ancient DNA sexing of walrus bones from Alþingisreitur, Iceland. Íslenskar fornleifarannsóknir ehf og Icelandic ZooArch. ISSN 978-9935-9641-0-6. Full text in Research Archive
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Boessenkool, Sanne (2020). Sheep and Goat Skulls from Follobanen Bispegata Oslo, Norway: Ancient DNA Sampling Report. Agricultural University of Iceland. ISSN 978-9979-881-94-0. 123(123).
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). The animal bones found in Vatnsvik, lake Þingvallavatn, Iceland. Open Context.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda (2019). Tooth wear of calf mandibles from the Icelandic ZooArch reference collection. Agricultural University of Iceland. ISSN 978‐9979‐881‐92‐6. 121(121).
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Smith, Kevin P. (2019). Zooarchaeological analysis of bones from Hallmundarhellir cave. Agricultural University of Iceland. ISSN 978-9979-881-56-8. 85(85).
  • Smith, Kevin P.; Ólafsson, Guðmundur; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Sigurðsson, Magnús (2019). Hallmundarhellir Cave: Report of Investigations, 2017. . Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University.
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda & Skarphéðinsson, Indriði (2019). The Animal Bones from Litlibær, Nes, Iceland. . Agricultural University of Iceland. ISSN 978-9979-881-78-0. 107(107).
  • Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne & Star, Bastiaan (2018). Ancient DNA sampling report Walrus bones from Alþingisreitur. Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands. ISSN 978-9979-881-71-1.

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Published Jan. 17, 2017 3:01 PM - Last modified Nov. 29, 2018 10:17 AM

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