NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Bernabei - Church of the Nativity - QUSP - ITRDB PSE002

The roof rafters and the lintels of the trabeated system of the Church of the Nativity were analysed, determining their tree species, dating the structural timber and, thereby, identifying the principal building/restoration phases and maintenance operations of the Basilica. The likely provenance of the timber was also determined, giving insight into the commercial trade routes of the time and the prevailing geopolitical connections. The roof timber of the Church is mainly oak, cedar and European larch, whereas its lintel beams consist entirely of cedar. The larch and oak timber was dated dendrochronologically, whereas the cedar could only be dated by radiocarbon analysis. The high correlation values between the Basilica's larch chronology and Alpine reference chronologies for the species indicate that the larch timber originates from the Eastern Alps. The oak site chronology correlates best with Turkish oak master curves made from Istanbul building timber, thereby pointing to a Turkish/Anatolian provenance of the Basilica's oak timber.

本研究针对圣诞教堂（Church of the Nativity）梁柱体系（trabeated system）的屋架椽条与过梁展开分析，明确了其所用木材的树种、结构用材的年代，并据此确定了该圣殿的主要建造、修复阶段及维护作业情况。研究同时确定了这批木材的潜在产地，为探析当时的商业贸易路线与彼时盛行的地缘政治联系提供了重要视角。该教堂的屋架用材主要为橡木、雪松与欧洲落叶松（European larch），而过梁则完全由雪松构成。研究采用树木年代学（dendrochronology）方法对落叶松与橡木用材进行定年，而雪松用材则仅能通过放射性碳分析（radiocarbon analysis）完成定年。该圣殿的落叶松年代序列与该树种的阿尔卑斯参考年代序列之间具有极高相关性，由此可推断这批落叶松用材产自东阿尔卑斯（Eastern Alps）地区。该教堂的橡木场地年代序列与以伊斯坦布尔建筑用材构建的土耳其橡木主曲线匹配度最高，进而可确定该圣殿所用橡木的产地为土耳其/安纳托利亚（Turkish/Anatolian）地区。