Analysis Of Ancient Wood

Colleagues from Cornell University were involved in studying ancient wood from Portus. They sampled waterlogged wood recovered from the shuttering around the inside of the undercroft of the cistern complex at the eastern end of the Palazzo Imperiale. Preliminary results suggested that pine and oak species were represented, helping to shed some light on the supply of timber to the port.

Wooden shuttering in the under-croft beneath a cistern (Building 2) in the Palazzo Imperiale at Portus. Photo: Hembo Pagi / ACRG
Wooden shuttering in the under-croft beneath a cistern (Building 2) in the Palazzo Imperiale at Portus. Photo: Hembo Pagi / ACRG
Wooden shuttering in the under-croft beneath a cistern (Building 2) in the Palazzo Imperiale at Portus. Photo: Hembo Pagi / ACRG