An overview of three decades of dendrochronology applied to ancient Mediterranean shipwrecks in southeastern France

Three decades of dendrochronology applied to ancient Mediterranean shipwrecks in southeastern France have resulted in a considerable improvement in knowledge about the wood resources used in ancient shipbuilding. However, in terms of dating, the success rate of dendrochronological analyses is still very low. The possible causes of this low rate are discussed through two case studies: the first pertaining to the shipwrecks from the ancient harbour of Toulon (1st-3rd centuries AD); the second to a couple of fluvial barges discovered in the Rhône River (mid 1st-beginning of the 2nd centuries AD).