Some of the most interesting 'finds' from week 6 are wooden planks.
These photographs show some of the timbers which were removed from one
of the wells. These were uncovered beaneath the water table in waterlogged
conditions and are therefore extremely well preserved. |
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These wooden planks formed the lining of the well. They would have
been carefully carved to interlock with one another and the original
joints are clearly seen on all the examples shown here. |
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Some examples of these timbers will be sent for dendrochronological
analysis. This 'tree ring dating' can identify the year a tree was felled from the patterns of the tree growth rings. This will give us a date for the felling of the trees which provided
the timber for the well and therefore a date for it's contruction. |
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Due to the waterlogged nature of the conditions in which they were
recovered, the preservation of the timbers can be maintained but
they must be kept wet at all times. In normal conditions, they would start
to decay. |
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This photograph shows a jaw bone in situ. It will be sent, along with
thousands of other bone fragments, to a bone specialist who will identify
it. |
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