4 Walseker Lane, Harthill with Woodall, Rotherham, South Yorkshire: Tree-ring Analysis and Radiocarbon Wiggle-matching of Oak Timbers

Author(s): Alison Arnold, Robert Howard, Cathy Tyers, A Bayliss, Silvia Bollhalder, Lukas Wacker

Dendrochronological analysis was undertaken on cores from 15 of the 16 timbers sampled in the roof of number 4 Walseker Lane, near Rotherham in South Yorkshire, the sample from one timber having too few rings for dating. This analysis produced a single site chronology, which included ten ring-width series that could be securely cross-matched statistically. In order to guide the programme of radiocarbon dating, three further series were identified as tentatively linked by statistical cross-matching, as well as two series being identified as tentatively linked by visual matching. Although this site chronology, with an overall length of 57 rings, could not be dated conclusively by ring-width dendrochronology, it is highly likely that the timbers are coeval. Radiocarbon dating was undertaken on eleven single-ring samples from five timbers in the site master chronology. Wiggle-matching of these results suggests that the final ring of this site master chronology formed in cal AD 1428–1436 (95% probability) or cal AD 1430–1434 (68% probability). This is compatible with one of the tentative dates for the site master chronology suggested by ring-width dendrochronology, when it spans AD 1376–1432. The tentative tree-ring date can only be accepted because it is supported independently by the radiocarbon wiggle-matching, but together they suggest that the fifteen timbers represented in site master chronology were felled in the winter of AD 1432/3DR.

Report Number:
240/2020
Series:
Research Report
Pages:
62
Keywords:
Dendrochronology Radiocarbon Dating Standing Building Wiggle-Match

Accessibility

If you require an alternative, accessible version of this document (for instance in audio, Braille or large print) please contact us:

Customer Service Department

Telephone: 0370 333 0607
Email: [email protected]

Research