Lodge Farm, Denton, Norfolk: Oxygen Isotope Dendrochronology of Oak Timbers
Author(s): Neil J Loader, Darren Davies, Danny McCarroll, Daniel Miles, Cathy Tyers, Giles Young
As part of an initiative to investigate the practical extent of the south-central England chronology for isotopic dating, two timbers that had been securely dated by ring-width dendrochronology from Lodge Farmhouse, Denton were sampled for oxygen isotope analysis. Fifty measurements were obtained on latewood from single growth-rings of core LFD-04 from a section of a west wall-plate (rings 0–49 of the measured ring-width series which spans AD 1252–1335) and 96 measurements were obtained on latewood from single growth-rings of core LFD-12 from the northernmost east principal post (rings 1–96 of the measured ring-width series which spans AD 1225–1320). The two isotopic series cross-match when offset by 20 years. This is consistent with the ring-width cross-matching. The 96-year isotopic mean cross-dates (t =6.15,1/p=105264, IF>1000) with the south-central England oxygen isotope master chronology, at a position that is compatible with that provided by ring-width dendrochronology. The isotopic series LFD-12 dates independently (t =6.15, 1/p=103843, IF>1000), but the shorter LFD-04 does not date independently. The location of Lodge Farmhouse in East Anglia is in an area that can be challenging for ring-width dendrochronology. It is also located well to the east of the south-central England master oxygen isotope chronology. This initial study suggests that, at present, secure dating using oxygen isotope measurements may be possible in this region, but may not routinely be obtained from short series of isotopic measurements on single timbers. An oxygen isotope master chronology for East Anglia may be required to enhance the potential for applying oxygen isotope dendrochronology in this region.
- Report Number:
- 6/2021
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 21
- Keywords:
- Dendrochronology Standing Building
