"The ability to reconstruct changes in building activity in time and space, independent of written sources, provides valuable new insights into times of crisis and prosperity in the past. Here we show that felling dates are a good indicator for changes in societal wellbeing and demographics," said first author Dr Fredrik Ljungqvist, associate professor of both History and Physical Geography at Stockholm University, Sweden.
"The study demonstrates that the precise dating of timber can reveal periods of socio-economic prosperity and downturn between 1250 and 1699, shedding light on the implications of building activity in a premodern context," the authors explain.
"By utilizing tree rings to analyze more than 54,000 pieces of timber, we construct an unrivaled economic record for premodern Europe, marking significant shifts across different regions at distinct times."
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