World's oldest woodwork

[AndyT]

I thought this was interesting. It was highlighted in the latest TATHS newsletter.
Scientists have excavated and dated oak frameworks used to line wells near Leipzig and have announced that they date back to about 7000 years ago.

The woodworking angle is that the frames that they have excavated were not unsophisticated. Made of cleft oak, the corner joints are mortice and tenon, with an oak peg to secure the tenon.

More info is available here:

http://www.surprising.uni-freiburg.de/en/individual-projects/oldest-timber-constructions/

(Also, if anyone was thinking of lining a well, and was wondering what wood to use, I think we now have the answer! ;-) )

 

[barkwindjammer]

Mortise and tenon, pegged AND housed/rebated/rabetted/dado'd
fascinating Andy, good find

 

[Harbo]

That's amazing and presumably made with stone tools?
Any signs of bevel edge chisels??

Rod

 

[AndyT]

It's doing all that with stone tools that amazes me too.

I've now found the longer original article (freely available, in English, here: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.)

This makes it clear that the frame with the mortice and tenon joints is the one to go on the bottom of the stack. Once that is in place, simpler notched construction will serve for the rest of the stack of lining timbers:

which I think is quite a cool design solution.

More on the tools and techniques from archaeologists going into the woods to test their theories: This is how to cut down a tree using a stone adze: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXUsItu74LU (it takes six hours - the video is shorter!) and this is how to work a plank with one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3mA0v-smtY

 

[barkwindjammer]

Those ancients knew a thing or two about timbers unbelievable compression resistance, and indeed tension strength, here's an 'inside out' version called 'Crib walling'

 

[Cheshirechappie]

That's amazing and presumably made with stone tools?
Any signs of bevel edge chisels??

Rod

Bevel-edged flints, eh?

Suggest the archaeologists check that well-lining carefully for maker's marks. There's only one person could have made that - he's older than we thought!

On a more serious note, what did they use to draw the water? A goatskin, maybe, or had they invented the coopered bucket?

 

[andersonec]

That looks like the kind of stuff I do, and it's not getting any better....

Andy

 

[dickm]

Interesting that the well lining is oak. Isn't elm usually recommended for situations like this where the wood is permanently wet?
Also not a nice thought to be the one assembling the lower elements of the lining, in cold water up to who knows where and only an open bonfire to dry out beside.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I can't get over the idea of mortising with stone tools.

The paper makes reference to careful charring/burning of the wood for hollows, but these look too small for that (there's evidence of burning on the ends of some of the timbers).

Three foot diameter oaks, felled at chest height with stone axes. Then planked with wooden splitting wedges and dressed with stone adzes! It's hard to imagine the economic cost of obtaining this timber. It must have been very precious stuff.

The other little detail I noticed was that the bottom level (the morticed one), and I think the one above too, both have small notches on the bottom edges of the boards, presumably to aid water ingress.

They were really inventive.

Thanks for posting - what an awe-inspiring find!

E.

 

[jimi43]

That's not the only thing in the TATHS newsletter this quarter...the little book on "the care of saws" is a superb reprint of a great piece of work and worth the membership of TATHS this year alone!

I am so glad I joined...wait...I'll rephrase that...I'm so glad that my daughter bought me membership for a Christmas present and now seems to be stuck in this kind of "renewal" trap! One of my nicest Christmas presents and so thoughtful of her!

Jimi

 

[nev]

Interesting that the well lining is oak. Isn't elm usually recommended for situations like this where the wood is permanently wet? ....

This is old enough to probably be one they used to find out that maybe oak wasn't necessarily the best thing to use

 

[Harbo]

Also they would use what timber was available in that vicinity - maybe no Elms?

Rod