Elsevier

Dendrochronologia

Volume 66, April 2021, 125814
Dendrochronologia

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Prehistoric salt mining in Hallstatt, Austria. New chronologies out of small wooden fragments

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2021.125814Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • We present successful dating of 763 samples from the archaeological sites in Hallstatt.

  • Felling dates between the 12th and the 2nd century B.C. (with gaps).

  • New chronologies developed for Silver fir, Norway spruce, European larch and beech.

  • Precise dates of salt mining activities in Hallstatt.

Abstract

The prehistoric salt mine of Hallstatt together with its burial ground is one of the most prominent archaeological sites in the world, and has given its name to the “Hallstatt period”, an epoch of European prehistory (800 to 400 BCE). Due to the perfect conservation in rock salt a high number of organic materials have been found, including mostly wooden artefacts and structural timber.

More than 2000 samples were taken from various archaeological sites in the mines as well as at the surface. It was possible to date 763 samples by the means of dendrochronology and by 14C wiggle matching. The dendrochronological dating was possible due to crossdating with various available chronologies (like Villingen-Magdalenenberg or Dachstein/Schwarzer See). The fir (Abies alba Mill.) chronologies span the periods: -1232 to -1063; -819 to -425 and -371 to-129. The spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) chronologies span the periods: -1228 to -1063; -813 to -669 and -342 to -123. The larch (Larix decidua Mill.) chronologies span the periods: -1393 ± 18 to-1286 ± 18 based on wiggle matching data and -252 to -164. A beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) chronology span the time -1182 to -1062.

Keywords

Prehistoric wood
Dendrochronology
Radiocarbon wiggle matching
Hallstatt
Salt mine
Archaeology

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