Recycling Woodlands: Timber Use and Reuse in Timber Framed Buildings in West Suffolk, England

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Human-environmental relations, mediated by builders and householders, are visible in the framework of vernacular buildings. The builder’s selection in material is mediated by geography and ecology, as well as land management practices, law, and social custom. In West Suffolk, England, there are hundreds of timber-framed buildings constructed between 1450 and 1700 that are still standing as homes and businesses. These vernacular buildings were largely constructed by carpenters who depended on local woodlands and wood-pastures to access fresh materials. Oak and elm timber was considered an important building resource, and there is documented evidence of its restriction by wealthy landlords both in the medieval and early modern period. In a survey of 30 buildings in this region, across urban and rural contexts, patterns of timber use reflect a widespread practice of recycling old timbers into new constructions. In both the market town of Bury St. Edmunds, and the rural landscape surrounding it, the widespread reliance on reused timber increased through time. There are multiple factors that potentially influence these patterns, including deforestation, restricted access to available timber, and changes in construction practices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36675.0