The Late Medieval and Early Modern periods in the Netherlands are marked by an upsurge in the production, use and repurposing of casks in cities. This is inextricably linked with the growing marine... Show moreThe Late Medieval and Early Modern periods in the Netherlands are marked by an upsurge in the production, use and repurposing of casks in cities. This is inextricably linked with the growing marine and riverine trade markets and the increase in artisan production. Casks have been found on shipwrecks, where they were used as containers for merchandise (primary purpose) and in urban areas, where they were repurposed as shafts for wells or cesspits (secondary purpose). As a result, the initial production phase of the lifecycle of casks often remained undetected. This study aims to generate an overview of the dendrochronological studies conducted in the past decades by Dutch dendrochronologists on casks from Dutch archaeological context, in which the felling year of the wood used to construct the casks can be dated from the 12th to 18th centuries, to gain insight into their production by coopers. The first objective is to better understand the diverse provenance areas detected in the coopers’ timber, after which the diachronic developments in the use of the timber from specific provenance areas can be addressed. The main objective is to assess whether it is possible to distinguish locally produced casks from casks used to import merchandise, which was successful in some cases. In addition to the dendrochronological and archaeological data, archival sources were used to contextualize and substantiate the analyses and interpretations. Show less
The study on the roof constructions on Leiden houses between 1300 and 1800 is primarily based on the systematic documentation and analysis of more than a hundred selected roof structures of houses... Show moreThe study on the roof constructions on Leiden houses between 1300 and 1800 is primarily based on the systematic documentation and analysis of more than a hundred selected roof structures of houses and twenty comparable on other types of buildings in Leiden. The research provides for the first time a summary overview of this type of constructions in one city. Partly due to dendrochronological research, almost all roof structures are provided with a reliable date and information is available on the origin of construction wood and trade therein. The documented constructions are unambiguously recorded on a newly developed standardized catalogue sheet.By linking the data from the investigated roof structures with historical sources and published research, an attempt was made to investigate the appearance and development of roof constructions from 1300 to 1800 on Leiden houses and what influences and indicators were involved. Show less
