APAC researchers published the first findings on the wooden heritage of the UNESCO Painted Churches of the Troodos using the systematic study of tree rings

APAC Labs explores tree rings, shedding light on the wooden heritage and chronology of the UNESCO Painted Churches of Troodos and in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities, the Department of Forests and Cornell University and with the support of the Church of Cyprus offers new insights into Cyprus’s cultural timeline. The lab studies  the wooden heritage of Cyprus, aiming to provide comprehensive chronologies for a variety of tree species across the island. This will enable new perspectives in the art history and archaeology of Cyprus regarding the wooden heritage. 

The recent publication in Radiocarbon journal “Progress Towards A Byzantine-Mediaeval Historic Buildings Tree-Ring Chronology From Cyprus Using Dendrochronology And Radiocarbon”, presents the preliminary results of our investigation of the UNESCO Painted Churches of the Troodos; in particular the combined use of dendrochronology with radiocarbon via tree-ring sequenced 14C wiggle-matching to help place initial tree-ring sequences.

The work done at the Timios Stavros church in Pelendri, which is highlighted as a case study in this article, builds upon the established dating of the church based on art historical analysis of its wall paintings. This new data, specifically on the Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) samples, affirm these dates and allow researchers to propose phases in the building, decoration, and restoration of the church.

Read more about the study here.