TREE-RING ANALYSIS OF TIMBERS FROM THE LATRINE BLOCK, AYDON CASTLE, CORBRIDGE, NORTHUMBERLAND
Author(s): Alison Arnold, R R Laxton, Cliff Litton
Fourteen samples were obtained from timbers of the roof structure and attic floor structure of the latrine block at the castle. This resulted in the production of a single site sequence and individually dated sample.Twelve samples grouped to form a site chronology of 140 rings, AYDASQ01, which spans the period AD1406-AD1545. Of the twelve samples, six have complete sapwood; five of these have a last ring date of AD1541, whilst the sixth is AD1545, these being the felling dates of the timbers represented. A seventh sample is also estimated to have come from a timber felled in c AD1541. Analysis of the heartwood/sapwood boundary ring date on the other samples points towards a felling date for these timbers within the range AD1536-61, consistent with either an AD1541 or AD1545 felling. Two samples in the site sequence do not have the heartwood/sapwood boundary ring and, therefore, estimated felling date ranges cannot be calculated for them. However, with last-ring dates of AD1505 and AD1518 it is entirely possible that they also had felling dates of AD1541/45. Attempts to date the remaining two samples individually resulted in sample AYL-A13 being matched at a first-date of AD1398 and a last-ring date of AD1450, however, again without the heartwood/sapwood ring date it is not possible to calculate an estimated felling date range for it, except to say it would be AD 1466 at the earliest. The final sample could not be matched and remains undated. Tree-ring analysis has resulted in the dating of 13 timbers used in the construction of the latrine roof and attic floor. Six of the timbers from the roof are from trees felled in AD1541 and one from the floor felled in AD1545. It is quite likely that the other timbers are also from trees felled in either AD1541 or AD1545. There is no indication that the attic-floor is inserted to explain the slight difference in date, of at least one of the timbers.
- Report Number:
- 36/2002
- Series:
- CfA Reports
- Pages:
- 17
