Whale bone DNA gives new clues to Iron Age Orkney life

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I have Flett ancestors It's believed they came to a place called Findochty in NE Scotland via Norway and then the Orkneys .

Do you believe they were able to refrigerate their food in the ground during winter?

People used to freeze food where there was permafrost.

I love stuff about Iron Age European societies.
Even Pacific Coast Native American tribes with stone age technology were able to hunt whales, so I think ancient Scots could pull it off.

The Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings all would have to arrive in Britain via ocean going vessels. That they would be seafarers and passed via Orkney means any of these cultures could have introduced whaling.

The Picts and other paleolithic peoples were walkers crossing the land bridge but could also have been whale riders. Anyone's a suspect.

The bones have fat and marrow already in them. I think the article is saying they stored the bones to crack open later. I wonder what that tasted like?

Marrow is stored in the long bones, such as the femur and the tibia.

As actual canisters, aboriginals in Micronesia, Borneo, etc., used segments of large bamboo as containers. The segments are hollow. For certain foods, the hollow stems were packed with meat and herbs and left to ferment for months.

Oh yeah, thanks!
It's not like they packed them, doh!