The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is pleased to announce the launch of a new thematic research framework as part of our Scottish Archaeological Research Framework project.

The Dendrochronology Research Framework for Scotland is the first update to the Archaeological Science section of ScARF since 2012. This new framework showcases how dendrochronology has many applications both within and beyond cultural heritage not just as a method of dating wood. This resource embraces the wider applications of tree-ring science to include sections on dendroclimatology, dendroecology and dendro-isotopes as well as sections on dendrochronology in archaeology, standing buildings and landscape history.

The painted board-and-beam ceiling over the 2nd floor in 302 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh. The beams are Norwegian pine, felled in AD 1591 and installed some time after that (© AOC Archaeology Group)

Dendrochronology can provide date, source and species information which contributes to the better understanding of individual heritage structures and can even sometimes provide a felling date of a tree used in a building to a specific year. Timber provenancing can tell us where the timber came from and therefore, we can learn more about the historic trade of wood. Knowing the original source of timber is also important to inform like-for-like timber replacement in conservation repair work.

Newer dendrochronological methodologies first developed for climate-based applications, are covered in the framework, for example using stable oxygen isotopes or blue intensity parameters. Dendroecology has also helped to reshape our understanding of how trees and forests function and ecological systems they are part of develop and change through time. Understanding how these ecosystems have responded to stressful events in the past, in turn will allow us to plan more effectively to meet these challenges in the future. 

The framework summarises the wide range of applications of dendrochronology in Scotland, highlighting recent developments, areas of good practice and some recent case studies. There is also a series of key research questions and recommendations that should help guide the development and application of dendrochronology in the future. 

This brand-new resource is a collaborative project created in association with AOC Archaeology Group, Dendrochronicle, Forest Research, the University of St Andrews and Swansea University. 

The project was funded by Forestry and Land Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland and the framework is available online and also as a free booklet by contacting the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.