Degradation of archaeological wood under freezing and thawing conditions - effects of permafrost and climate change

TY - JOUR

T1 - Degradation of archaeological wood under freezing and thawing conditions - effects of permafrost and climate change

AU - Matthiesen, H.

AU - Jensen, J.B.

AU - Gregory, D.

AU - Hollesen, Jørgen

AU - Elberling, Bo

N1 - CENPERMOA[2014]

PY - 2014/6

Y1 - 2014/6

N2 - The degradation of archaeological wood at freezing and thawing temperatures is studied at the site of Qajaa in West Greenland through a combination of environmental monitoring, measurement of oxygen consumption and microscopy of wood samples. Permanently frozen wood is still very well preserved after 2-4000 years, while wood samples that thaw every summer show attack by soft rot and an average density loss of 0.1gcm-3 (corresponding to 25% of the dry mass) over the past 27 years. Future increases in temperature may increase the decay rate significantly (Q10=4.2 at 0-10°C) but the effects on site depend on local hydrology.

AB - The degradation of archaeological wood at freezing and thawing temperatures is studied at the site of Qajaa in West Greenland through a combination of environmental monitoring, measurement of oxygen consumption and microscopy of wood samples. Permanently frozen wood is still very well preserved after 2-4000 years, while wood samples that thaw every summer show attack by soft rot and an average density loss of 0.1gcm-3 (corresponding to 25% of the dry mass) over the past 27 years. Future increases in temperature may increase the decay rate significantly (Q10=4.2 at 0-10°C) but the effects on site depend on local hydrology.

U2 - 10.1111/arcm.12023

DO - 10.1111/arcm.12023

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0003-813X

VL - 56

SP - 479

EP - 495

JO - Archaeometry

JF - Archaeometry

IS - 3

ER -