Wooden Artefacts

Early medieval Ireland (A.D. 400-1100) was an intensely organic world, with pottery less visible in the archaeological record than during other periods, making wood the main material used for vessel manufacture. The significance of wooden vessels is exemplified in the Early Irish Laws, which suggested woodworking and woodworkers had distinct categories with variations of social status based on specialisation; from the lowly bowl turner to the high status yew-worker. Modern archaeological investigations have provided a large corpus of effectively recorded and classified material to examine. However, when evidence for woodworking has been recovered, it has lacked further analysis and interpretation. Rather, wooden artefacts are often limited to finds lists, hidden in grey literature or larger appendices. Therefore, this has left archaeological data and discussion on wooden material spread across many sources.

This project collates the data and discussion on evidence for woodworking and wooden artefacts using both existing and new assemblages. Part of this project explores how people made, used, and deposited wooden objects, in particular, exploring how the processes of repairing and recycling communicate a unique treatment of objects less frequently discussed. This project, also investigates woodworkers’ impact on the rural economy and explores the possibility of an Irish woodcraft ‘tradition’. In addition, this project investigates the concept of craft through the use of contemporary early medieval contexts, historical literature, and modern sources (experimental archaeology and ethnoarchaeology) and its relation to wood and woodcraft, and their role within societies and cultures.

English translation for Joanna Daranowska-Łukaszewska's text for the photographic album Małopolska architektura drewniana. Lesser Polish Architecture in Wood. Olszanica: Bosz, 2005. Polish-English bilingual version (Introduction and Glossary of terms)

Extensive archaeological excavations at the site 16 in Chłopice (dist. Jarosław), followed by the construction of the A4 motorway between Przeworsk and Radymno, was commissioned by the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways. The studies were carried out in the period from September 2009 to September 2010. Geographically, the village Chłopice is located within the Sandomierz Basin, in the Podgórze Rzeszowskie. The discovered settlement was situated on a gentle slope with the southern exposure, and its lowest parts were partially within the bottom of the valley of a small watercourse – the Łęg Rokietnicki. The area was characterized by the presence of the loessy subsoil covered with sediments coming from the erosion of black soil of varying thickness and stratigraphy. What is more, under the accumulation layer there was peat bog deposited in the bottom of the valley. The studied area covered almost 2.5 hectares. 1010 features were uncovered at the site, including: traces of dwellings sunken in the ground and farm buildings, free standing ovens and hearths, pits of various economic nature, postholes (forming sometimes a rectangular outline of the building), a fragment of a wooden bridge and traces of other wooden structures, a well, remains of the old road, a shooting ditch and some cuts of uncertain functions. The predominant category of movable artefacts was a collection of pottery vessels (over 3000 fragments). Moreover, there were other discovered finds at the site: other clay artefacts (spindle whorls, loom weights parts, fragments of stove tiles, pipes), metal objects (e.g. a fibula, buckle, projectile point, fragments of horseshoes), stone items (whetstones, hammer stone-grinders), as well as flint, glass (e.g. fragments of a lump, modern pieces of vessels), bone (skis, a polishing item) and wood (elements of the bridge, etc.) implements. The chronology of the uncovered traces of the settlement revealed: the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (several flint artefacts), Early Iron Age and the Early La Tene period (Tarnobrzeg Lusatian culture), Younger and Late Roman period (Przeworsk culture), Early Middle Ages, Late Middle Ages (several ceramic artefacts) as well as Modern and contemporary periods. Some of the artefacts stayed undetermined in terms of the chronology, while the two were determined generally as prehistoric.

Alcohol fermentation has been utilised by societies across the globe over several millennia, despite differences in societal structures, cultures, economies and broader foodways. In early medieval Ireland (AD 400-1100), alcohol, particularly ale, was central to social gatherings and ceremonies, from the inaugurations of kings to the payment of labourers. This begs the questions, how was alcohol made, presented and shared in Ireland’s past?
The production and storage of ale requires a suite of suitable objects and containers – the brewing kit. Whilst alcoholic fermentation is frequently discussed in terms of consumption and ritual, there is far less consideration of the container itself, and relationships between the contents and the vessels used in fermentation and storage. Vessels have an observable effect on beverages and the fermentation process –today these effects are mostly associated with ageing alcohols to add flavour complexity
The selection of materials is influenced by the interplay between brewing, the brewer and cultural choices. In contemporary society, the emergence of the craft-beer movement demonstrates a new appreciation of the brewer and their creative outlet. This project will investigate choices made by early medieval brewers, in particular vessel material selection, and the wider concept of the craftsperson.

Dolní Věstonice II has a large assemblage of preserved charred wood and charcoals, which contains some evidence of worked artefacts.
Preserved in this assemblage are complex adjustments using cutting and polishing, forming the shapes of tools, as well as examples of the simpler working of artefacts using cutting, including waste generated during their processing.
Artefacts and charcoals were preserved due to the specific conditions of charring, when a large part of the assemblage was charring without access of air, and charcoals from the fireplaces are well preserved thanks to the overlaying loess.
Coniferous wood was mainly used, but to a lesser extent, deciduous trees are documented. Also documented in the assemblage was the use of dry wood infested with wood-destroying insects. The large charcoal fragments that have been studied display a long tree-ring series, which is ideal for the reconstruction of the short period climatic variations. The warmer oscillations are documented in the order single year to several years in a row.

M.S. Sergeeva. Old Rus woodworks from Kyselivka hill
Wooden artifacts found in 1948 in the building dated 12th – 13th c. at Kyselivka hill (Kiev) are published.
The most interesting is a big turned plate of a diameter about 44-46 cm, made of ash-tree. The remains of tare are represented by the fragments of hollowed vessels (no less than three items of different sizes) and a bottom of a small carved vessel made of lime-tree, as well as y by pine-tree clapboards of cooper’s ware.
In addition to ware, fragments of hazel trunk with a groove (supposedly the remains of structure) and fragments of two panels made of wood of the same kind were found. Panels had relief-profiled upper plane and, apparently, carried decorative functions. Fragments of trunk chopped lengthwise, with 24-26 mm and 27-28 mm diameter, with roughly whittled surface were also found. Judging by their sizes they can be regarded as work material for similar panels or for hoops of cooper’s ware. The main occupation of the owner of the dwelling apparently was a jeweller’s craft (a casting mould was found), but finds of wood with traces of processing allow to presume that at least part of wooden utensils was made by owner of dwelling himself, apparently within home crafts.

Статья посвящена анализу деревянных предметов конского снаряжения из средневекового катакомбного могильника Даргавс аланской культуры, расположенного в Северной Осетии. Все анализируемые предметы происходят из погребений середины VIII - начала IX в.  Подробно рассмотрена морфология двух фрагментов деревянных плетей, деревянного стремени и гребня. Полученные выводы расширяют наши представления о составляющих элементах конского снаряжения используемого в среде аланского населения.

Le deuxième volume correspond aux annexes. Ce volume est un support visuel complémentaire au volume 1 du mémoire.

The second volume corresponds to annexes. This volume is a complementary visual support to volume 1 of the research paper.

2 volumes : texte et annexes, 163 p.

This thesis investigates early medieval Irish woodcraft (AD 400-1100) to ask the questions: what is craft and what makes a craftsperson? Over the past few decades numerous wooden items have been recovered from this period in Ireland, thus providing an opportunity to gain an insight into the crafts represented and draw out the related themes of skill, specialisation and status. Interpretations relating to woodcraft are based on 1,607 wooden artefacts collated during this project, sourced from past archaeological investigations of rural secular sites from across Ireland. These objects were mostly recovered from wet anaerobic conditions that allowed for the preservation of organic materials. Specific focus has been given to wooden vessels (e.g. buckets, kegs and bowls) of different manufacturing technologies (i.e. stave-built, carved and turned) which highlighted differences in material selection and skills required to make these objects; even within the same manufacturing technology. This focus allowed for the question to be asked, what is craft, but also to what extent can the material remains recovered provide a clearer perspective on the relationship between the production of wooden objects, the people who made them and the society within which they worked.

""Wooden items are extremely rare fi nds at Stone Age dwelling sites. Only about 30 wooden items are known
for the Paleolithic period. Mesolithic and Neolithic items have only been preserved in the humid conditions
of peat-bog sites. In this regard, the collection of wooden artifacts from Zamostje 2 (in the Moscow region)
dwelling site, which has Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic layers (6th – beginning of the 5th millennia BC),
is undoubtedly of interest. The assemblage includes handles of polished axes and adzes, implements for hunting
and fi shing, fragments of crockery, objects of “art”, fl attened points, and numerous details of unknown
tools and constructions. Many of the items are unique and have no analogies in materials from synchronous
sites. The surface of many of the artifacts is well-preserved, hence it became possible to undertake a selective
technological analysis of the traces of treatment. The analysis revealed specifi c details of the treatment
techniques for items from different layers, in particular, of the relief working of the surfaces with a stone adze,
which is characteristic of the lower layer.""

In recent years, constant progress has been made with regard to wood-dating techniques. In Italy, both the number and length of dendrochronological reference chronologies have increased so that by now the last 10,000 years are almost completely covered. This indispensable dating method has provided new ways for studying archaeological and prehistoric finds. New technologies have remarkably improved the sampling techniques, which today, in most cases, are very effective and non-evasive. Modern software now allows easy data management and statistical analyses. Apart from dendrochronology, the diffusion of isotope analysis has also had great impetus. With regard to radiocarbon dating, the calibration curve has been enriched by new data, and several peaks of cosmic emissions have been identified that, in future, can be instrumental in improving dating precision. Apart from radiocarbon, the isotope analyses of O, H and Sr, especially if linked with dendrochronology, allow to refine the i...

The manufactured wood products are essential to modern society, since they are made from renewable and recyclable raw material, characterizing a sustainable input. The objective of this study was to elucidate the importance of wood from planted forests in forest products manufacture of higher added value, addressing forest and wood contexts of topics related to education, resources, products, industry, government incentives, public policies and markets. Different from Europe, it was verified that Brazil does not support positively this important industrial sector, nevertheless it still presents growth potential due to range of wooden-based products. Thus, wood could reach a prominent position in Brazilian economy, if strategies and incentives were defined by rules and public policies.

Os produtos manufaturados em madeira são fundamentais para a sociedade moderna, visto que os mesmos são fabricados a partir de matéria-prima renovável e reciclável, caracterizando um insumo sustentável. O objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em elucidar a importância da madeira de florestas plantadas na manufatura de produtos florestais com maior valor agregado, abordando os contextos florestais e madeireiros de tópicos relacionados à educação, recursos, produtos, indústrias, incentivos estatais, políticas públicas e mercado. Verificou-se que o Brasil, diferente da Europa, não estimula favoravelmente esse importante setor industrial, que ainda assim apresenta potencial de crescimento em função da diversidade de produtos à base de madeira. Desse modo, a madeira poderá alcançar um lugar de destaque na economia do País, se estratégias e incentivos forem definidos por meio de normas e políticas públicas.

In recent years, constant progress has been made with regard to wood-dating techniques. In Italy, both the number and length of dendrochronological reference chronologies have increased so that by now the last 10,000 years are almost completely covered. This indispensable dating method has provided new ways for studying archaeological and prehistoric finds. New technologies have remarkably improved the sampling techniques, which today, in most cases, are very effective and non-evasive. Modern software now allows easy data management and statistical analyses. Apart from dendrochronology, the diffusion of isotope analysis has also had great impetus. With regard to radiocarbon dating, the calibration curve has been enriched by new data, and several peaks of cosmic emissions have been identified that, in future, can be instrumental in improving dating precision. Apart from radiocarbon, the isotope analyses of O, H and Sr, especially if linked with dendrochronology, allow to refine the information regarding dating and, in many cases, permits to determine the timber's provenance and even to define precisely the environmental conditions for the growth of the tree, from which the wood has been obtained. Today, finally, we can assert that all wood can be dated. Only the precision of dating still varies but constant progress is being made in that regard, too.

PALAZZI DEL CINQUECENTO A ROMA
   
_____________________
_____________________
a cura di Claudia Conforti e Giovanna Sapori


Presentazione di Caterina Bon Valsassina        VII

Premessa di Claudia Conforti, Giovanna Sapori    XI

Giovanna Sapori: Maestri, botteghe, équipes e cantieri nei palazzi romani: Perino del Vaga, Salviati, Vasari e Zuccari      1

Sonia Amadio: Allestire una parete: disegni per la decorazione ad affresco nei palazzi romani    53

Paola Picardi: La decorazione dei palazzi farnesiani alla metà del Cinquecento    67

Nicolas Cordon: Artifices et paradoxes. Daniele da Volterra et les décors de stuc en très haut relief      83

Jan L. de Jong: Paintings in Palaces: Descriptions and Inscriptions    101

Patrizia Di Benedetti, Giovanna Sapori: Una banca dati sulla decorazione dei palazzi fra 1540 e 1570      111

Beatrice Cirulli: I palazzi descritti e illustrati nelle guide di Roma del Cinquecento      119

Patrizia Di Benedetti: La rappresentazione dei palazzi romani nelle incisioni del Cinquecento    153

Ludovica Tiberti: Le incisioni di palazzi nel mercato delle stampe a Roma tra Cinque e Seicento    167

Ilaria Sferrazza: “Palazzi di Roma de più celebri architetti”: Pietro Ferrerio pittore e architetto    185 
     
Christoph Luitpold Frommel:  Prima del Sacco di Roma: all'origine del palazzo romano      201

Federico Bellini: Il portale nel palazzo romano  231

Nicoletta Marconi: L’ornamento lapideo      255

Micaela Antonucci: «Tutto passa per le scale»: la scala nei palazzi romani    271

Carla Trovini: Stalle e rimesse nei palazzi romani    291

Claudia Conforti, Maria Grazia D’Amelio: Di cieli e di palchi: soffitti lignei a lacunari    308

Claudia Conforti, Maria Grazia D’Amelio: Camini dei palazzi romani      354

Sabine Frommel: Gli Hôtels particuliers a Parigi dal XV al XVII secolo      392

Manolo Guerci: I palazzi londinesi dello Strand: 1550–1650    419

Abstracts    431

Bollettino d'Arte
via San Michele, 22 - 00153 ROMA tel.06 6723 4329
e-mail: bollettinodarte@beniculturali.it

Investigations of Stone Age waterlogged sites in eastern Europe pose a great scientific interest due to the excellent preservation of organic materials. Excavations of settlements like Sārnate, Zvidze (Latvia), Šventoji (Lithuania), Purkajasuo (Finland), and Okhta 1 (Russia) are among the best examples of such research. New investigations in 2010–2013 at the peat-bog site of Zamostje 2 (Sergiev Posad district, Moscow region, Russia) were of special interest thanks to the discovery of a specific fishery zone dated to the Late Mesolithic–Early Neolithic periods. Several constructions made of wood were found in this particular part of the settlement: among them two fish traps made of wooden splinters and bound by common reed tapes, mobile fish screens, and 150 wooden piles. These finds, along with wooden, bone, antler, and pine bark artefacts (fish hooks, harpoons, floats, fishnet knots, paddles, etc.) allow us to state that fishery was a basic economic activity at this site. This statement is further supported by a large number of finds, including fish bones and fish scales, found in relevant cultural layers. Similar fishing constructions have been found recently at other sites in European Russia, too. In this article, we present main elements of the fishing economy at Zamostje 2 and some newly-found materials from other sites in central and northwestern Russia. We also propose a typology for wooden fishing structures and outline some patterns of fishing strategies for this territory in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.

The thesis is submitted to University College Dublin in part fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology.

The modern world is in the early phases of a technological era, where advancing technology is being developed constantly; and as a result, it is only natural that the field of archaeology develops along with it and takes advantage of these developments. This research project seeks to provide insight into the current state of 3D technologies, and its potential when working with wooden, earthen and metallic material types. This paper also aims to illustrate the methodologies used when working with these material types, particularly regarding their digital representations, and how they compare to their physical counterparts, and the difficulties and obstacles that may occur when working with these material types using current technology.

Nei livelli tardrepubblicani dello scavo di Piazza Marconi sono stati rinvenuti alcuni oggetti lignei, in parte connessi a una bottega dove veniva lavorato l'osso e il corno, in parte relativi ad altre attività artigianali o residenziali non meglio specificabili. In questo articolo si presentano il catalogo degli oggetti e delle brevi considerazioni sul loro possibile utilizzo e sulla scelta delle specie lignee impiegate per la fabbricazione.

Alcohol fermentation has been utilised by societies across the globe over several millennia, despite differences in societal structures, cultures, economies and broader foodways. In early medieval Ireland (AD 400-1100), alcohol, particularly ale, was central to social gatherings and ceremonies, from the inaugurations of kings to the payment of labourers. This begs the questions, how was alcohol made, presented and shared in Ireland’s past?

The production and storage of ale requires a suite of suitable objects and containers – the brewing kit. Whilst alcoholic fermentation is frequently discussed in terms of consumption and ritual, there is far less consideration of the container itself, and relationships between the contents and the vessels used in fermentation and storage. Vessels have an observable effect on beverages and the fermentation process –today these effects are mostly associated with aging alcohols to add flavour complexity. This project will examine evidence of fermentation in early medieval Ireland by exploring ale through a multidisciplinary approach, drawing upon historical writings, folklore, archaeological science, material culture and international ethnographies, along with scientific analysis to compare wooden vessels of different materials and analysis of how fermentation affects the vessel (use-alteration) and vice versa.

The selection of materials is influenced by the interplay between brewing, the brewer and cultural choices. In contemporary society, the emergence of the craft-beer movement demonstrates a new appreciation of the brewer and their creative outlet. This project will investigate choices made by early medieval brewers, in particular vessel material selection, and the wider concept of the craftsperson. International studies on fermentation have developed useful scientific approaches and ethnographies, but such approaches have not been applied to early medieval evidence, especially in Ireland. This proposal will therefore utilise an international approach to better understand brewing and associated material culture in early medieval Ireland.

https://tracerprojectblog.wordpress.com/

TRACER: "Tree Roots: an analytical ‘culture’ of economy and religion – case-study Egypt 2050-1550 BC.)

L'artisanat du bois comme "traceur" sociétal en Egypte Ancienne (Moyen Empire-Deuxième Période Intermédiaire).
 
Indigenous and imported wood species were extensively used in Ancient Egypt for manufacturing objects of daily life and
equipment for the afterlife, notably statuary and coffins. Despite the abundance and use throughout Pharaonic history, no global study has been carried out on this material. Indeed, in stark contrast to stone or metal objects whose material
identification is always specified, research publications and museum displays most often accept a simple identification
“wood”. When the type of wood used is specified, identification is rarely based on botanical analysis. As a result the entire
history and archaeology of an art and medium are lost. With an innovative double methodology combining archaeometric
and theoretical approaches, the TRACER project will analyze woodcraft as a societal "tracer" in Ancient Egypt during a key
period of its history: the Middle Bronze Age (MBA). Analyze of woodcraft during this period which covers politically
centralized (Middle Kingdom-MK) and decentralized period (Second Intermediate Period-SIP), will identify the impact of
societal changes on wood crafts, closely linked with the political and religious development of the country. Two specific wood
corpora will be investigated: 1) burial equipment from Upper and Middle Egypt, mainly coffins and statues; 2) settlement site
finds from the largest town site with good preservation of organic material, Lahun, in Lower Egypt. Thus, the 2-years project TRACER will constitute the first move toward a previously unseen global project dedicated to wood in Ancient Egypt. The
main objective of the TRACER project is to highlight how the specialized production in one material, carpentry, correlates
with the other dimensions of its historical context (religious, political, cultural). The TRACER project will target woodworking
as a test-case for assessing relations between social components in one archaeological well documented period of lower Nile Valley between 2050 and 1550 BC.

L'estudi d'eines de fusta provinents de jaciments prehistòrics de medis humits suscita qüestions en torn trets específics vinculats als seus mètodes de manufactura. L'estudi es fonamenta en una experimentació realitzada amb instruments de pedra, os i banya emprats en el treball de fusta, i en l'estudi de les traces tecnològiques desenvolupades sobre la superfície d'aquestes fustes i la seva comparació amb fustes arqueològiques. L'estudi de les col·leccions provinents de dos jaciments mesolítics d'Europa oriental -Zamostje 2 i Veretje 1-mostra diferents tradicions tecnològiques en la producció de les eines. Eines de fusta, traces tecnològiques, Mesolític, Europa oriental. The collections of wooden artifacts from wetland Stone Age settlements bring another questions about the specific features of their methods of making. The study is based on experiments with replicas of stone, bone and antler tools with use-wear traces from wood-working operations and the ...