Article (Scientific journals)
An application of luminescence dating to building archaeology: The study of ceramic building materials in early medieval churches in south-eastern England and north-western France
Blain, Sophie
2010In Arqueologia de la Arquitectura, 7, p. 43-66
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Keywords :
Carolingian and Anglo-Saxon architecture; churches; ceramic building materials; spolia; luminescence dating; building archaeology
Abstract :
[en] The research reported in this thesis concerns the re-evaluation of an archaeological assumption surrounding the origin of Ceramic Building Materials (CBM) used from the 9th to the 11th century in religious buildings of north-western France and south-eastern England. Are the bricks used in the masonry structures Roman spolia or a novo productions? Amongst the dating methods that can contribute to building archaeology, it is the technique of stimulated luminescence applied to CBM that is the focus of this study. Results from thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating performed on 52 CBM samples from 11 churches showed that the practice of reusing Roman brick was commonplace in small parish churches, but also that brick-making was not a totally unknown skill of the early medieval craftsmen as it has long been supposed. Most importantly, by identifying that the building material is contemporary to the church, a defined chronology emerges resulting in a new and extremely useful reference point in the history of early medieval architecture.
[es] La investigación presentada en esta tesis se ocupa de la reevaluación de un supuesto arqueológico entorno al origen del material cerámico constructivo (CBM) empleado entre los siglos IX y XI en los edificios religiosos del Noroeste de Francia y el Sudeste de Inglaterra. ¿Son los ladrillos empleados en las estructuras de fábrica spolia romana o producciones a novo? Entre los métodos de datación que pueden contribuir a la arqueología del edificio, la técnica de luminiscencia estimulada aplicada al CBM es el centro de este estudio. Los resultados de la termoluminiscencia (TL) y de la luminiscencia estimulada ópticamente (OSL), aplicadas en 52 muestras de CBM tomadas en 11 iglesias, evidencian que la práctica de reutilizar ladrillos romanos era común en pequeñas iglesias parroquiales, pero que también la técnica de elaboración de ladrillos no era totalmente desconocida para los artesanos altomedievales, como se había supuesto hasta ahora. Lo que es más importante, al identificar material constructivo contemporáneo a la iglesia, se obtiene una cronología concreta que se convierte en un punto de referencia nuevo y extremadamente útil para la historia de la arquitectura altomedieval.
Disciplines :
Archaeology
Author, co-author :
Blain, Sophie ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences historiques > Labo de dendrochronologie
Language :
English
Title :
An application of luminescence dating to building archaeology: The study of ceramic building materials in early medieval churches in south-eastern England and north-western France
Publication date :
2010
Journal title :
Arqueologia de la Arquitectura
ISSN :
1695-2731
eISSN :
1989-5313
Publisher :
Instituto de Historia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Spain
Volume :
7
Pages :
43-66
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 08 January 2015

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