Dendrochronological analysis of 19 Norwegian grain chests

Abstract

Nineteen Norwegian grain chests made of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were analyzed by measuring tree-ring widths on photographs and scanned pictures. Seventeen of the chests were successfully dated by dendrochronology. Two of the dates are corrections of an earlier dating; the ages of these two chests were verified by radiocarbon dating. The grain chests were expected to be medieval, but four, all without carvings, proved to be post-medieval. The mean curve constructed from the dated chests matches all regional Scots pine chronologies in central and southern Norway and several from southern Sweden. All the chests were probably constructed in central Norway. Originally only sixteen chests were known, but several new ones were discovered in the course of this project.