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The Role of Digital

Archaeology in
Studying Medieval
Timber Joints
Richard Haddlesey
The University of Winchester
Outline of this presentation

• brief introduction to medieval timber-framing and how it has


been studied and depicted in the past

• updating traditional techniques with digital technologies

• disseminating and sharing this information


My Background

• I began my PhD at the University of Winchester in Feb 2006

• supervised by Prof Tom Beaumont James & Dr K Wilkinson and


advised by Mr Edward Roberts

• started life destroying old buildings

• how can I save these buildings and raise their awareness?

• I wanted to combine my two passions


– old buildings
– technology
Background to my research

• researching late medieval timber


frame buildings

• concerned with jointing and framing


techniques

• houses were prefabricated (Harris 1978)

• joints were created by the master


carpenter

• basic joints are similar

• dendrochronology is the most


significant advance in dating buildings
[since c14] (Morriss 2000)
http://www.his.com/~tom/TOOLS.PDF
Previous work
• “by examining all these examples of frame-work we have been
able to prove, despite their great variety, that each period is
characterised by definite assembly-methods” (Deneux, 1927)

• 1980 Cecil Hewett writes English Historic Carpentry

• focused on the Essex area

• based on teleological progression

• lack of scientific methodology

• dendrochronology not used


dendrochronology

• Dendrochronology, or tree-ring analysis, is a highly technical


specialist process that relies on powerful computer technology
and skilled technicians. (Morriss 2000, 142)

• trees of the same species, growing during similar time frames in


localised habitats, will produce similar growth-ring patterns

• dendrochronology was pioneered in North America by Douglas


during the first decades of the 20th century

• Baillie produced a full Oak chronology in 1988 for Ireland, it now


goes back 7,272 years in northern Europe
Recalibrating Hewett

• in the light of dendrochronology, buildings archaeologists can


now recalibrate Hewett's dates

• With solid dates we can also revaluate any significance in


the changes in style and techniques alongside historic
information
My work

Using modern digital technologies to understand


the progression of medieval joint technologies
Collecting the data

• fieldwork and surveying

• recording dimensions, carpenters’ marks, joint types, locations etc.

• in the field by direct data entry into MS access, AutoCAD and SketchUp

• direct data entry mitigates dyslexia

• high quality digital photographs to provide context and basis for models
Interpreting the data

• To provide a means to date joints based on


dendrochronology and a visual database
digital photography
digital photography
Highlighting features
Using the zoom
Databases

• MS Access Database of houses and joint types dated by


dendrochronology and written records

• geodatabases in ArcGIS 9 of house locations

• visual database of joint types and chronologies including


sketches, digital photographs and 3D models

• integration with established ADS online datasets

• VAG online dendrochronology database


Traditional 2D illustrations

• 2D illustrations can lack depth, context and meaning

• they remain static

• tend be an exploded view

• not easy to ‘read’

• non-scalable

(Alcock et al 1989, 30)


Creating a visual chronology

1. 1180 – 1200
2. 1180 – L13thC
3. L13th – E14thC
Tudor Merchants Hall, Southampton c1428
Moving to 3D illustrations

• using existing 2D illustrations, my survey records and digital


photographs to produce 3D images
Moving to 3D interaction

• models can be manipulated into


showing a more appropriate view

• they can be animated to show


how the joints fit together
Tie-beam assembly c1428, Tudor Merchants Hall Southampton
Dissemination

• websites / emails / ebooks

• publish using Adobe3D tie-beam

• online website and ADS archive

• mobile phones with internet connection, and/or, data cards

• portable media devices


Mobile media devices
Applying geomatics to timber-famed structures

• geomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing,


and delivering of geographic information

• uses GPS, GIS, maps, satellite imagery

• used to record, analyse, cognate and visualise spatial


information

• As computer technologies advance, so too, does the tool set


available to buildings archaeologists
Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

• is a system for capturing, storing, analysing and managing


data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced
to the earth

• a tool to collate and manipulate spatial data

• goes beyond conventional mapping

• key advance in the cognitive sciences


Using map layers
aiding landscape perceptions

(Chapman, 2006)
Isle of Wight
Find-density
Field uses

• other researchers

• conservation officers

• construction industry

• building owners
Thank you
Richard.Haddlesey@winchester.ac.uk
www.medievalarchitecture.net

Supervised by Prof Tom James, Dr Keith Wilkinson


and Mr Edward Roberts

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