Diverse construction types and local timber sources characterize early medieval church roofs in southwestern Sweden

• A vast number of early medieval roof structures are still preserved in Swedish churches, yet countrywide surveys and detailed dendrochronological investigations, in tandem with building archaeology, are largely lacking. Here, we present new findings from four parish churches (Forsby, Forshem, Gökhem and Marka) in Västergötland, southwestern Sweden. The roof constructions, made from local oak and pine trees, were dated to the period between AD 1131 and 1157, making these some of the oldest preserved roof structures in Sweden and Europe. With the development of new regional pine and oak tree-ring chronologies covering the 10th to 13th centuries, we open up the discussion about medieval timber technology, wood utilization and the potential for future tree-ring based paleo-environmental exploration.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- Archaeology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

12th century

Church roofs

Dendrochronology

Early Middle Ages

Southwestern Sweden

Timber

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)