A novel method for dendrochronology of large historical wooden objects using line trajectory X-ray tomography

Bossema, Francien G.; Domínguez‐Delmás, Marta; Palenstijn, Willem Jan; Kostenko, Alexander; Dorscheid, Jan; Coban, Sophia Bethany; Hermens, Erma; Batenburg, Kees Joost

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-90135-4

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the case of wood, for example, when a cross-section of sufficiently high resolution has been obtained, this could be used by dendrochronologists to measure the tree rings and date them through comparison with reference chronologies 47 . The resolution should be high enough to capture the thinnest rings in the transverse section of the sample 47 , 48 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling 3D CT-scanning of cultural heritage objects using only in-house 2D X-ray equipment in museums

Bossema,

Palenstijn,

Heginbotham

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Visualizing the internal structure of museum objects is a crucial step in acquiring knowledge about the origin, state, and composition of cultural heritage artifacts. Among the most powerful techniques for exposing the interior of museum objects is computed tomography (CT), a technique that computationally forms a 3D image using hundreds of radiographs acquired in a full circular range. However, the lack of affordable and versatile CT equipment in museums, combined with the challenge of transporting precious collection objects, currently keeps this technique out of reach for most cultural heritage applications. We propose an approach for creating accurate CT reconstructions using only standard 2D radiography equipment already available in most larger museums. Specifically, we demonstrate that a combination of basic X-ray imaging equipment, a tailored marker-based image acquisition protocol, and sophisticated data-processing algorithms, can achieve 3D imaging of collection objects without the need for a costly CT imaging system. We implemented this approach in the British Museum (London), the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles), and the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam). Our work paves the way for broad facilitation and adoption of CT technology across museums worldwide.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling 3D CT-scanning of cultural heritage objects using only in-house 2D X-ray equipment in museums

Bossema,

Palenstijn,

Heginbotham

et al. 2024

Nat Commun

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The increasing availability of non-destructive methods for tree ring analysis (e.g., Grabner et al 2009;Bill et al 2012;Stelzner & Million 2015;Bossema et al 2021) and accessibility of tree-ring chronologies from Siberia (e.g., Siborova et al 2017) should enable artefacts made from Arctic driftwood to be provenanced more easily. Additionally, on-going advances in DNA analysis may also aid in the identification of driftwood species.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timber as a Marine Resource: Exploitation of Arctic Driftwood in the North Atlantic

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The North Atlantic islands of the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland have always been relatively poor in terms of native timber resources, due to their cold climate and exposed topography. Nevertheless, timber was vital to the material culture of the Norse settlers of these islands, and driftwood often met this need. As in subarctic Norway, where trees are also scarce, driftwood use and ownership were prescribed in medieval law codes. Historical documentary evidence shows that wealthy landowners bought driftwood rights as valuable assets, and ethnohistorical sources reveal a wide range of local and regional customs related to driftwood exploitation. However, driftwood was an unstable resource, and its delivery depended on a range of unpredictable factors related to climate and ocean currents. There is also ongoing debate regarding the relative importance of imported timber, which is for example often referenced in the Icelandic sagas. The use of driftwood is difficult to demonstrate through macroscopic, microscopic, or (geo-)chemical analysis. Similarities in the microscopic anatomy of boreal wood taxa preclude definitive provenancing through taxonomic analysis, and material traces of immersion in seawater are often either impermanent or ambiguous, especially in archaeological wood remains. This paper presents a comprehensive review of current historical and archaeological research on the exploitation of driftwood timber in the Medieval North Atlantic and explores potential future directions in this field. Furthermore, it asserts that this line of research should be pursued with some urgency, as anthropogenic climate change threatens both driftwood delivery and the preservation of archaeological wood remains.

show abstract

“…Both objects are essentially hollowed-out logs, with intact long (>200 rings) tree-ring sequences. Dendrochronological dating of cores or lateral slices (cookies) was not possible due to their delicate condition, and the objects are too large and fragile for approaches such as micro-CT and x-ray tomography (e.g., Bossema et al 2021). Owing to their expected "historical" (post-1492 AD) ages, single 14 C dates would be insufficient for resolving the ages of these objects to within even a single century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Approximate” Wiggle-Match Dating Applied to Early American Museum Objects

Hadden,

Napora,

Tharp

2024

Radiocarbon

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wiggle-match dating of tree-ring sequences is particularly promising for achieving high-resolution dating across periods with reversals and plateaus in the calibration curve, such as the entire post-Columbian period of North American history. Here we describe a modified procedure for wiggle-match dating that facilitates precise dating of wooden museum objects while minimizing damage due to destructive sampling. We present two case studies, a dugout canoe and wooden trough, both expected to date to the 18th–19th century. (1) Tree rings were counted and sampled for dating from exposed, rough cross-sections in the wood, with no or minimal surface preparation, to preserve these fragile objects; (2) dating focused on the innermost and outermost portions of the sequences; and (3) due to the crude counting and sampling procedures, the wiggle-match was approximated using a simple ordered Sequence, with gaps defined as Intervals. In both cases, the outermost rings were dated with precision of 30 years or better, demonstrating the potential of wiggle-match dating for post-European Contact canoes and other similar objects.

show abstract

A novel method for dendrochronology of large historical wooden objects using line trajectory X-ray tomography

Cited by 12 publications

References 53 publications

Enabling 3D CT-scanning of cultural heritage objects using only in-house 2D X-ray equipment in museums

Enabling 3D CT-scanning of cultural heritage objects using only in-house 2D X-ray equipment in museums

Timber as a Marine Resource: Exploitation of Arctic Driftwood in the North Atlantic

“Approximate” Wiggle-Match Dating Applied to Early American Museum Objects

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About