For the first time since 2012, a new guide has been included in the Archaeological Science section of the Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF), detailing how the study of dendrochronology – the science of tree-ring dating – is being applied to cast fresh light on discoveries both new and old.
Dendrochronology is the most precise dating technique available to archaeologists and building historians, capable of providing felling dates for timbers to a specific year and sometime even to a season.
Despite the fantastic strengths of the technique, there has been relatively little support for and uptake of dendrochronology in the Scottish heritage sphere compared to England and most European countries.
However, the recent publication of a new Dendrochronology Research Framework for Scotland is helping to change that situation by making an easily-digestible, national resource available for prospective users and anyone interested in Scotland’s heritage.
Core sampling at Stirling Castle (Image: ScARF) The new resource summarises the discoveries made in Scottish dendrochronology since the first applications in the 1970s and identifies priorities and gaps for future research to address.
Dr Coralie Mills, of Archaeology company Dendrochronicle, co-authored the framework along with fellow archaeologists Anne Crone, Neil Loader, Tom Ovenden and Rob Wilson.
She explains: “A less-well-known aspect of Scotland’s fascinating history is the story of the timber-trade which is being revealed through the application of dendrochronology.
“The analysis also reveals where the trees grew which opens up a window into the historic movement of timber both nationally and internationally.”
Included in the framework are a series of case studies which show how the study of wood is opening up a door on the past.
Stirling Castle is one such site, where analysis of wooden beams, roofs and carvings have shown the incredible lengths medieval builders went to when sourcing materials.
The pre-eminent medieval royal residence and stronghold in Scotland, originating in or before the 12th century, the Castle underwent significant remodelling in the 16th century under the Stewart monarchy.
The castle complex was further modified in the 18th and 19th centuries when it served as a major British Army base.
Stirling Castle in the snow (Image: PA) Dr Mills said that the study of its timbers showed connections stretching as far as Poland and Scandanavia, revealing the trade networks which stretched across the continent when during the different phases of its construction.
She said: “The Dendrochronicle team have dated some of the earliest imported oak timbers ever found at Stirling Castle, felled in Scandinavia – probably Denmark of Southern Sweden – in the spring of AD1476, revealing for the first time tree-ring evidence for a lost building at the castle constructed during the reign of James III.
“Like many of the dated timbers from Stirling, these medieval timbers have been recycled into a slightly later structure. Recycling of timber was common at Stirling Castle and throughout much of Scotland because, as our national tree-ring record reveals, Scotland’s own native timber supply was much depleted by the late medieval period.
“Scotland has relied heavily on imported timber ever since then, first importing oak, later pine, mostly from Scandinavia and the Eastern Baltic.”
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She added: “Scotland’s international connections with Scandinavia, northern Europe and the Eastern Baltic is writ large in our national tree-ring record over the last 600 years and interested readers can find out more in the online resource.
“It has been an absolute privilege to work on the amazing historic buildings at Stirling Castle and to be a part of the wider national effort to reveal Scotland’s unique tree-ring record and historic timber heritage.”
Other case studies showing the impact of the study of wood include the Black Loch of Myrton in Dumfries & Galloway, where an Iron Age roundhouse and settlement was discovered submerged in a marsh, and timbers from the ‘Ancrum Bridge’ in the River Teviot.
The remains of the Ancrum Bridge (Image: ScARF) Planks from this bridge were discovered in 2018 and described as ‘one of the most exciting and significant archaeological discoveries in Scotland in recent years’ when they were identified as being younger than first thought.
Instead of dating to the turbulent reign of David II from 1329-71, the bridge, which lies 13 miles from the then hotly-contested border with England, is more likely to have been built in the more peaceful times of James I in the early 15th century.
The dendrochronology framework is a collaborative project created in association with AOC Archaeology Group, Dendrochronicle, Forest Research, the University of St Andrews and Swansea University.
The project was funded by Forestry and Land Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland and the framework is available online, and also as a free booklet by contacting the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Dr Mills said: “I’m very grateful to ScARF at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland for making the creation of this resource possible, and to the main funders Forestry and Land Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland.”