Refinements in the Interpretation of Tree-ring Dates for Oak Building Timbers in England and Wales

AbstractAbstractThis paper summarises recent research into the interpretation of dates derived through dendrochronology in mainland Britain. Whilst the science of dating timbers through dendrochronology has advanced significantly over the past two decades, the interpretation of these tree-ring dates, either with or without complete sapwood, has not developed to the same degree. Where precise felling dates are available from samples with bark edge, further research has been carried out to understand more fully how these relate to the building process. This has thrown new light on the practice of stockpiling and the relationship between felling dates, contemporary building accounts and dated features on the buildings themselves, allowing a better understanding to be gained about the time required to construct a building and the time elapsed between felling and use. A major problem encountered by most archaeologists and building historians, is the estimation of felling date ranges when the outer rings of sapwood are lost. The paper examines the viability of narrowing estimated felling date ranges, as well as the practicalities for using a Bayesian methodology for producing combined felling date ranges for a group of contemporary timbers.