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Roof construction is a key element while documenting and studying building traditions in historical towns. In the city centre of Ghent (Belgium), numerous roofs of large monuments (churches, merchants' halls, town halls) as well as historical houses from the pre-industrial era are still in place. Tree-ring research has been carried out on several intact roof constructions since the 1990s. The dated roofs range from the mid-13th to the 17th century. Recent research has revealed the presence of historical roofs in the church of St. Nicholas, an iconic building in the city's historical centre. Tree-ring research has dated the roof constructions of the nave and the choir to the first and second quarters of the 13th century, which makes them the oldest preserved examples of carpentry in Ghent and among the oldest in Flanders (northern Belgium). These and other such dating results for the Ghent region allow for the development of a typology for (late) medieval and early modern roof constructions and provide context for a better understanding of the procurement, trade, and transport of building timber from the early 13th century to the early modern era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heavy and impressive chest — part of the museum collection of the city of Antwerp — served as a strongbox to securely store the city's historical documents, including citizen privileges, public liberties, and responsibilities. A recent dendrochronological survey revealed that the tree-ring pattern of the lid dates to 1005–1294 CE, suggesting a felling date early in the 14th century. The Silver fir wood originated from the Vosges mountains in France, and hence was transported to the city of Antwerp that had already developed as an important trade centre along river Scheldt by the 13th century. The tree-ring pattern of the bottom plank could not be measured, but the presence of caulking material in some large cracks and metal clamps (sintels) revealed that this repurposed timber must have originated from a medieval ship. The archaeobotanical analysis of the mosses used as caulking material and of the pollen trapped in these mosses points toward two different locations where the ship was repaired, with at least one location outside the Low Countries. During the examination, a collection of wooden boxes stored inside the chest drew the attention. It was unclear whether the collection of boxes had any connection with the original content in the chest. Tree-ring dating on these wooden boxes made of oak and beech revealed their 14th to 16th century dating. Furthermore, inscriptions proved their relationship with historical documents. The combined dendrochronological, archaeobotanical, and historical examination demonstrates that this medieval chest was a privileged spectator of the city's turbulent history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we draw attention to the inherent variability in the results of trial trenching, when taking into account the countless variations in orientation and positioning of trenches. Grids of trial trenches were simulated time and again on the excavation plans of 16 archaeological sites from Flanders, Belgium. Orientation and positioning of the grid layout was shifted randomly, whilst the area coverage varied from 2.5% to 80%. The intersection rates of the archaeological features allow to gain more insight in trends and variability that are inherent to the chosen design of trial trenches. It is assessed how robust a chosen grid layout performs on (multi-period) archaeological sites and how variable these results might be. The most effective layout appears to be a grid with short, parallel and discontinuous trenches or a standard grid, closely followed by 2 m wide continuous trenches. Implementing 4 m wide trenches reduces the effectiveness of the latter method substantially. When the area coverage of the trenches is below 10%, the results of the archaeological prospection become unreliable and can potentially lead to a substantial over-or underestimation of the actual feature density on the site. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002, the preserved bottom part of a wreck was excavated, identified as a cog, and named Doel 2. An interdisciplinary research programme (2010-2014), revealed that the ship was constructed after 1328 with wood from northern Poland. Complete 3D-registration of the timbers, and structural analysis showed it had a keelplank with a natural upward curve at the bow that served as a hook, and that most bottom planks were recaulked, among many other repairs. The ship ended up in 'den Deurganck', a creek near the Scheldt river where it was partially disassembled before the surviving remains were inverted, probably as a result of a flood. This paper presents the detailed recording and archaeological interpretation of the ship remains, and the results of the dendrochronological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth-ring pattern and basal area increment (BAI) of round wood charcoal fragments from Carpinus betulus , Corylus avellana , Fraxinus excelsior and Quercus sp. from a 14th century archaeological context has been studied and compared to those of modern samples from both coppice woodland and dominant trees in high forests. The archaeological charcoal fragments show a strong initial growth rate, but after 4–8 years this starts to decrease for all investigated taxa. For Fraxinus excelsior , the decrease generally occurs after 9–11 years. In general, this trend in ring width is comparable to the one observed on samples from modern day coppice and is clearly different for the samples from high-forest stands where ring width generally starts to decrease after a much longer period or at a much lower rate. BAI-values can be interpreted in a similar way, where these values for both the archaeological charcoal fragments and shoots from modern coppice reach a plateau or start a decreasing trend after 4–8 years. In contrast, BAI values for high-forest trees show a continuous increase. The results indicate that studying the tree-ring pattern and BAI of roundwood charcoal fragments from archaeological contexts might be a useful approach for the reconstruction of past woodland management and the identification of (pre)historic coppice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, a well-preserved, c.21 m-long shipwreck, Doel 1, was found upside-down in a silted-up creek near the river Scheldt ( Belgium). An interdisciplinary research project was initiated, including 3 D registration of all timbers, wood species identification, dendrochronology and archaeobotanical analysis of the caulking material. Doel 1, of which 70% is preserved, displays the construction features of a cog. Unseasoned wood was used and dated by dendrochronology to AD 1325/26. Remarkable features include the symmetrical layout of the bottom planks, the atypical arrangement of the frames to the fore, and evidence of partial dissassembly of the ship after intensive use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the provenance of two Roman river barges and a Roman punt excavated along the limes of Germania inferior near the Dutch city of Utrecht ( De Meern 1 , 4 and 6 ). To establish the geographical origin of these vessels, their tree-ring series are compared to 1452 dated oak ( Quercus robur/petraea ) growth patterns from Roman-period sites in the current Netherlands and Belgium. The strong resemblance to patterns of oak used in the civitas Menapiorum and the bordering region of civitas Nerviorum in Gallia Belgica indicates that the ships were built with oak from the lower-Scheldt region in present-day Flanders (north-western Belgium). Given the absence of Flemish oak in Roman land-based constructions along the Dutch limes , this provenance implies that the vessels were constructed in the lower-Scheldt region. The geographical location of the final wreck sites of De Meern 1 , 4 and 6 points at inland-navigation between this region and the Rhine-based limes of Germania inferior . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, the remains of a cog, Doel 1, were found in Doel, Belgium. Wood species identification of all ship timbers and smaller elements was performed. European oak was the dominant species, followed by alder that was used for the fairings. In total 150 ring-width series were recorded. The construction date was set at AD 1325/26 and the timbers proved to originate from forests along the rivers Elbe and Weser. For the bottom strakes a strict symmetrical layout was observed. The keel plank was hewn from a trunk with a slightly earlier felling date. Repairs were performed with high-quality boards, some with a southern Baltic provenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To analyse fuelwood collection strategies in Roman funerary rituals in northern Gaul, a large number of charcoal fragments from Roman cremation graves has been identified. The wide variety of taxa found suggests that no particular taxa have been avoided. Also no significant differences have been found between the charcoal assemblages of different types of graves and between graves belonging to different types of settlements. On the other hand, comparison with the charcoal assemblages from Roman refuse deposits, reflecting domestic fuel use, shows an overrepresentation of Quercus sp., Alnus sp. and Fagus sylvatica, and a much lower taxonomic variety in the cremation graves. This is believed to be the consequence of functional rather than ritually or symbolically oriented fuelwood selection strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Models project that climate warming will cause the tree line to move to higher elevations in alpine areas and more northerly latitudes in Arctic environments. We aimed to document changes or stability of the tree line in a sub-Arctic model area at different temporal and spatial scales, and particularly to clarify the ambiguity that currently exists about tree line dynamics and their causes. The study was conducted in the Torneträsk area in northern Sweden where climate warmed by 2.5 °C between 1913 and 2006. Mountain birch ( Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) sets the alpine tree line. We used repeat photography, dendrochronological analysis, field observations along elevational transects and historical documents to study tree line dynamics. Since 1912, only four out of eight tree line sites had advanced: on average the tree line had shifted 24 m upslope (+0.2 m year assuming linear shifts). Maximum tree line advance was +145 m (+1.5 m year in elevation and +2.7 m year in actual distance), whereas maximum retreat was 120 m downslope. Counter-intuitively, tree line advance was most pronounced during the cooler late 1960s and 1970s. Tree establishment and tree line advance were significantly correlated with periods of low reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus) population numbers. A decreased anthropozoogenic impact since the early 20th century was found to be the main factor shaping the current tree line ecotone and its dynamics. In addition, episodic disturbances by moth outbreaks and geomorphological processes resulted in descent and long-term stability of the tree line position, respectively. In contrast to what is generally stated in the literature, this study shows that in a period of climate warming, disturbance may not only determine when tree line advance will occur but if tree line advance will occur at all. In the case of non-climatic climax tree lines, such as those in our study area, both climate-driven model projections of future tree line positions and the use of the tree line position for bioclimatic monitoring should be used with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We overview the recent development of oak dendrochronology in Europe related to archaeology and art-history. Tree-ring series of European oaks (Quercus robur and Q. petraea) have provided a reliable framework for chronometric dating and reconstruction of past climate and environment. To date, long oak chronologies cover almost the entire Holocene, up to 8480 BC and the network over the entire area in which the two oaks grow is being improved. We present the main characteristics of oak ring series and discuss the latest methodological advances in defining the calendar year in which the tree-rings were formed and in interpreting such dating in terms of the age of a wooden object. Dendrochronology has established itself as a standard dating tool and has been applied in a wide variety of (pre-)historical studies. Archaeological wood, historical buildings, works of art (such as panel paintings and sculptures) have been successfully investigated. Recent advances in dendro-provenancing have helped to obtain more information on the timber trade in the past. Information on past forest structures, silviculture and timber use have become available through scrutinizing historical and contemporary ring-width patterns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study of archaeological remains of charcoal kilns is a fast growing field of research. The history and evolution of different types of (pre)historical charcoal production features is still poorly understood however. Based on a large number of radiocarbon dated charcoal kilns from Belgium and the Netherlands, covering c. 2500 years, a typology and chronology of charcoal kilns is presented. The oldest charcoal production features date to the late Iron Age, though many of these dates seem to suffer from an old-wood effect and might actually date to the Early Roman period. Both Iron Age and Roman period charcoal production is done in rectangular pit kilns. During the Early Middle Ages, there is a shift to circular pit kilns which become the dominant kiln type during the High Middle Ages. From c.1300 CE onwards, charcoal is no longer produced in pit kilns, but a new kiln type, i.e. the mound kiln is used. The size of the charcoal (pit) kilns decreases from the Roman period till c. 1300 CE when, with the use of mound kilns the volume of produced charcoal dramatically increases. These changes in kiln size most likely reflect changes in both the organisation, scale and technology of iron production in the Low Countries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stepwise multidisciplinary approach to discern the date and origin of wood objects. • Tool traces unveil the manufacture process, key to resolve the production place. • Crucial role of dendrochronology in identifying wooden elements from a single tree. • DNA of historic wood successfully locates the wood source within Europe. • Radiocarbon wiggle matching provides a narrow date range for 19th century wood. We present a stepwise multidisciplinary approach combining woodworking expertise, dendrochronology, DNA genotyping and radiocarbon dating to determine when, where and how historical wooden objects were made. The effective implementation of this approach is demonstrated with a set of wooden stocks from the Rijksmuseum collections in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). In 2019, preceding an exhibition about slavery, stocks made of oak (Quercus sp.) were donated to the Rijksmuseum. The history of the object was unknown, and a stepwise approach was devised to determine the date and potential place of its manufacture, and whether they were made in the context of Dutch colonial slavery. Pencil marks and tool traces found on the surface of the wood are characteristic of traditional woodworking techniques and indicated that the stocks were processed after 1800 C.E., from fresh wood, shortly after the felling of the tree, and in one go. The tree-ring analysis revealed that the beams originate from the same tree, and that the tree grew in a dense forest. However, it failed to return an exact date for the wood and, consequently, also to determine its provenance. Therefore, we decided to employ DNA-genotyping and radiocarbon dating. The retrieval of DNA was successful, and the results placed the provenance of the wood in an area covering a broad latitudinal transect in central Europe. Radiocarbon wiggle matching, modelled with sapwood statistics for central Europe, revealed that the tree was likely cut between 1791 and 1824 C.E. These results combined suggest that the stocks were produced in the first quarter of the 19th century, using local wood, at a small rural town somewhere in Italy, the Pyrenees, eastern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany or even further north (Denmark, Sweden). While their association with slavery in colonised territories seems unlikely, their production in the context of the Dutch colonial system cannot be ruled out. Therefore, they are valuable historical objects worth being curated and exhibited at a national museum. The stepwise approach here presented can be applied to other large objects at museum collections. We encourage curators, conservators and restorers to consider its implementation to maximise knowledge acquisition and appreciation of wooden cultural heritage. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: What are the age structure and growth trends in a 160-year old not-managed Pinus sylvestris plantation with spontaneous development of Quercus robur and can recruitment of Q. robur be related to the radial growth pattern of the P. sylvestris overstorey? Location: Mattemburgh forest reserve, The Netherlands. Methods: Throughout the forest, we sampled 103 oaks and 102 pines with an increment corer. Tree ring widths were measured and cross-dated to produce mean ring width series. With these data we determined tree ages, investigated growth trends and identified growth releases and suppressions. Results: Q. robur is uneven-aged: some individuals recruited around 1925, but most reached coring height in the 1940s. The latter recruitment period related to a transition from stressed to released growth of the overstorey pines, growth releases of the oldest Q. robur and occurrence of P. sylvestris regeneration. No further recruitment has taken place since 1950. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that an old pine plantation can develop spontaneously into well-structured pine forest with an understorey of oak and pine. However, understorey recruitment in these forest types is not a continuous process and in this case a single allogenic canopy disturbance triggered its establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we provide practical and straightforward guidance for the selection and sampling of shipwreck timbers for dendrochronological research. We outline sampling strategies and present informative figures that illustrate how to proceed in a variety of scenarios that archaeologists regularly encounter. However, in order to fully exploit the potential of tree‐ring research on these objects, we would urge archaeologists to involve dendrochronologists during the project planning phase to carefully plan and conduct adequate sampling of shipwreck assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Variations in building activity reflect demographic, economic and social change during history. Tens of thousands of wooden constructions in Europe have been dendrochronologically dated in recent decades. We use the annually precise evidence from a unique dataset of 49 640 tree felling dates of historical constructions to reconstruct temporal changes in building activity between 1250 and 1699 CE across a large part of western and central Europe largely corresponding to the former Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Comparison with annual records of 9772 plague outbreaks shows that construction activity was significantly negatively correlated to the number of plague outbreaks, with the greatest decrease in construction following the larger outbreaks by three to four years after the start of the epidemics. Preceding the Black Death (1346–1353 CE) by five decades and the Great Famine (1315–1322 CE) by two decades, a significant decline in construction activity at c. 1300 CE is indicative of a societal crisis, associated with population stagnation or decline. Another dramatic decline in building activity coincides with the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648 CE) and confirms the devastating nature of this conflict. While construction activity was significantly lower during periods of high grain prices, no statistically robust relationship between the number of felling dates and past temperature or hydroclimate variations is found. This study demonstrates the value of dendrochronological felling dates as an indicator for times of crisis and prosperity during periods when documentary evidence is limited. Highlights • Reconstructing European building activity 1250–1699 CE from 49 640 tree felling dates. • Lower building activity coincided with more plague outbreaks and higher grain prices. • Reduced building activity during the Late Medieval Crisis (c. 1300–1415 CE). • Unprecedented decline in European building activity during the Thirty Years' War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Archaeological research of shipwrecks mainly focusses on both the study of the general structure and the individual timber elements and on the provenancing of ships by dendrochronological analyses and the study of the cargo. This study now presents the analyses of a large number of samples from the mosses that have been used for the caulking of two early 14th century maritime cargo vessels. The identification of the mosses showed that different taxa have been used for the caulking of original seams, repairs and for re-caulked seams. Analyses of the botanical macroremains of vascular plants trapped in these mosses confirm the different environments these mosses have been collected in, as is suggested by the ecological characteristics of the different identified taxa. The analyses of pollen trapped in these mosses indicate a different regional origin of the mosses used within one single ship and thus show the potential of this technique for the provenancing of shipwrecks and ancient ship routes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A detailed study of charcoal burning activities has been made for the Zoersel forest (Northern Belgium) based on an inventory of charcoal kiln remains, the analyses of wood charcoal and other charred botanical macroremains and radiocarbon dating of 10 of these kilns. Age determination of the youngest kilns was refined by dendrochronological analysis of trees growing on top of these kiln sites. The results show that, although many kilns were found, charcoal was produced in Zoersel only at certain moments during late and post-medieval times suggesting that charcoal burning was not a part of the regular management practice of these forests. The wood used for the production of charcoal mainly consists of taxa of alluvial (alder) forests while the kilns are situated on sites that currently are rather dry, with an oak dominated vegetation. For the older kilns, this contrast could be explained by an important change in local soil conditions. The younger kilns may be related to the conversion of alder woodland to grassland in the lower parts of the domain, with the kilns being constructed in the nearby dryer woodland areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]