Non-invasive dendrochronology of late-medieval objects in Oslo: refinement of a technique and discoveries

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

A technique for non-invasive dendrochronological analysis of oak was developed for archaeological material, using an industrial CT scanner. Since 2013, this experience has been extended within the scope of the research project ‘After the Black Death: Painting and Polychrome Sculpture in Norway’. The source material for the project is a collection of late-medieval winged altarpieces, shrines, polychrome sculpture, and fragments from Norwegian churches, which are owned by the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. The majority cannot be sampled, and many are too large to fit into the CT scanner. For these reasons, a combined approach was adopted, utilizing CT scanning where possible, but preceded by an ‘exposed-wood’ imaging technique. Both non-invasive techniques have yielded reliable results, and CT scanning has confirmed the reliability of the imaging technique alone. This paper presents the analytical methods, along with results from two of the 13 objects under investigation. Results for reliable dates and provenances provide new foundations for historical interpretations.

Original languageEnglish
Article number431
JournalApplied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing
Volume123
Issue number6
ISSN0947-8396
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2017

ID: 179632237