The recording and archaeological potential of tool marks on prehistoric worked wood : with special reference to Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay, Scotland
Well-preserved waterlogged timbers are increasingly being found as more wetland and submerged archaeological sites are being investigated. Such timbers can often preserve a record of the tools used in their working and it is this detail that is at the core of the current study. When a tool is used to work wood the details of its blade edge can be very well preserved on the timber's surface. Points of damage on a blade, possibly a break or bend in the edge, can be registered on the wood surface as either a ridge or a groove running down the long axis of the facet produced. The sequence of ridges or grooves created by a blade can act like a signature for the use of that particular tool. When the same sequence of ridges and grooves are found on facets from different timbers those timbers can be associated through the single tool used in their working. Associations produced in this manner represent manufacture that is probably no more than a few hours apart. Crucially this is directly related to the working of the timbers and is independent of the evidence of association that might be demonstrated through other techniques, such as dendrochronology. This thesis explores the archaeological uses of such information
Sands, Robert J. S.
The recording and archaeological potential of tool marks on prehistoric worked wood : with special reference to Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay, Scotland. Well-preserved waterlogged timbers are increasingly being found as more wetland and submerged archaeological sites are being investigated. Such timbers can often preserve a record of the tools used in their working and it is this detail that is at the core of the current study. When a tool is used to work wood the details of its blade edge can be very well preserved on the timber's surface. Points of damage on a blade, possibly a break or bend in the edge, can be registered on the wood surface as either a ridge or a groove running down the long axis of the facet produced. The sequence of ridges or grooves created by a blade can act like a signature for the use of that particular tool. When the same sequence of ridges and grooves are found on facets from different timbers those timbers can be associated through the single tool used in their working. Associations produced in this manner represent manufacture that is probably no more than a few hours apart. Crucially this is directly related to the working of the timbers and is independent of the evidence of association that might be demonstrated through other techniques, such as dendrochronology. This thesis explores the archaeological uses of such information
record archaeological potential tool mark prehistoric work wood special_reference loch scotland well_preserved waterlogged timber increasingly find wetland submerge_archaeological site investigate timber often preserve record tool_use work detail core current_study tool_use work wood detail blade edge well_preserve timber surface points damage blade possibly break edge register wood surface either ridge run long axis facet produce sequence ridge create blade act like signature use particular tool sequence ridge find facet different timber timber associate single tool_use working produce manner represent manufacture probably hour apart crucially directly_relate work timber independent evidence association might demonstrate technique explores archaeological information