Papers by Ignacio García-González
Combined dendrochronological and archival research revealed the history of construction and subse... more Combined dendrochronological and archival research revealed the history of construction and subsequent repairs to the roof structures of Segovia Cathedral, the last gothic cathedral built in Spain. Although this iconic building has been extensively documented by different scholars, the completion date of the 16th century original sacristy was uncertain. Furthermore, disaster struck the building on two occasions, in the 17th and 18th centuries. First, on September 1614, lightning hit the bell tower and fire spread through the roof of the nave. Then, on 1 November 1755, the Lisbon earthquake shook the cathedral building. However, the extent of the damage caused by these events was unknown.
Our combined research revealed that the trees used to make the tie-beams of the sacristy were cut in the late summer/winter months of 1676/77, one century later than the completion date, suggesting that this part of the original sacristy was renewed when a new one was built together with the offices in an annexed building. Furthermore, absolute dates obtained for the nave indicate that the trees used to build the current roof structure were cut in the autumn/winter of 1614/15, which implies that the 16th century original roof must have burned down entirely due to the lightning fire. A historical document registering the purchase of the wood to repair this structure in 1614 confirms this information. Finally, the damage caused by the Lisbon earthquake must have compromised the structural integrity of the roof, as the support timbers used to reinforce it belong to small trees cut in the spring or summer of that same year 1755. Archival research revealed that the roofs were inspected a few weeks after the earthquake, and that repairs were carried out in 1756. This suggests that the wood to prop up the structure was most likely purchased shortly after the inspection (probably in a nearby saw mill where cheap wood from trees cut in the summer of 1755 was available), and before the repairs took place.
Keywords
Dendrochronology Cathedral roof timbers Building history Historical research Natural hazards Pinus nigra/sylvestris
European Journal of Forest Research, 2013
In southern Spain, the Cazorla Mountains (500-2,100 m a.s.l.) have supplied construction timber f... more In southern Spain, the Cazorla Mountains (500-2,100 m a.s.l.) have supplied construction timber from black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) for buildings and ships since at least the Middle Ages. To establish the age and provenance of wooden cultural heritage originating from this area, well-replicated long-span chronologies are needed. Old-living trees occur at high elevations, whereas many historical timbers originated from lower altitudes; hence, crossdating possibilities were questionable. To assess the potential of this species for the development of a multi-millennia tree-ring data set with living trees and historical timbers for the western Mediterranean, we developed four ring-width chronologies along the circa 1,000 m altitudinal range of black pine in these mountains and examined crossdating patterns and climate-growth responses along with altitude and through time. Teleconnections with other Iberian and Mediterranean tree-ring data were also tested. A well-replicated chronology spanning AD 1331-2009 was obtained at the upper site, while lower elevations delivered shorter chronologies. Similarity among chronologies and responses to climate were dependent on elevation. Tree-ring width was negatively related to temperature in previous late summer and positively to February-March, whereas precipitation had an opposite effect; some negative influence of early summer temperature was also observed. However, growth responses were rather unstable throughout the twentieth century. These chronologies showed good tele-and heteroconnections with conifer chronologies from Iberia, northern Morocco and Turkey, evidencing the existence of a common macroclimatic signal, which also varied along with elevation. The relevance of these results for dendrohistorical studies is discussed.
New Phytologist, 2004
Wood anatomical features measured in dated tree rings have often proven to be of ecological value... more Wood anatomical features measured in dated tree rings have often proven to be of ecological value. However, little is known about the suitability and power of such measurements studied in a year-to-year basis as is done in dendrochronology.
Books by Ignacio García-González
Este libro pretende ser un apoyo a la arqueología de campo, estableciendo criterios y procedimien... more Este libro pretende ser un apoyo a la arqueología de campo, estableciendo criterios y procedimientos de recogida, muestreo y conservación para los materiales arqueobotánicos: carbones, maderas, semillas...
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Papers by Ignacio García-González
Our combined research revealed that the trees used to make the tie-beams of the sacristy were cut in the late summer/winter months of 1676/77, one century later than the completion date, suggesting that this part of the original sacristy was renewed when a new one was built together with the offices in an annexed building. Furthermore, absolute dates obtained for the nave indicate that the trees used to build the current roof structure were cut in the autumn/winter of 1614/15, which implies that the 16th century original roof must have burned down entirely due to the lightning fire. A historical document registering the purchase of the wood to repair this structure in 1614 confirms this information. Finally, the damage caused by the Lisbon earthquake must have compromised the structural integrity of the roof, as the support timbers used to reinforce it belong to small trees cut in the spring or summer of that same year 1755. Archival research revealed that the roofs were inspected a few weeks after the earthquake, and that repairs were carried out in 1756. This suggests that the wood to prop up the structure was most likely purchased shortly after the inspection (probably in a nearby saw mill where cheap wood from trees cut in the summer of 1755 was available), and before the repairs took place.
Keywords
Dendrochronology Cathedral roof timbers Building history Historical research Natural hazards Pinus nigra/sylvestris
Books by Ignacio García-González
Our combined research revealed that the trees used to make the tie-beams of the sacristy were cut in the late summer/winter months of 1676/77, one century later than the completion date, suggesting that this part of the original sacristy was renewed when a new one was built together with the offices in an annexed building. Furthermore, absolute dates obtained for the nave indicate that the trees used to build the current roof structure were cut in the autumn/winter of 1614/15, which implies that the 16th century original roof must have burned down entirely due to the lightning fire. A historical document registering the purchase of the wood to repair this structure in 1614 confirms this information. Finally, the damage caused by the Lisbon earthquake must have compromised the structural integrity of the roof, as the support timbers used to reinforce it belong to small trees cut in the spring or summer of that same year 1755. Archival research revealed that the roofs were inspected a few weeks after the earthquake, and that repairs were carried out in 1756. This suggests that the wood to prop up the structure was most likely purchased shortly after the inspection (probably in a nearby saw mill where cheap wood from trees cut in the summer of 1755 was available), and before the repairs took place.
Keywords
Dendrochronology Cathedral roof timbers Building history Historical research Natural hazards Pinus nigra/sylvestris