Tree-ring analysis and absolute dating of a wooden water-drain installation from the Late Bronze Age underground spring chamber of Oymaağaç Höyük/Nerik, Türkiye

Abstract

At the archaeological site of Oymaağaç Höyük, located in the Turkish province of Samsun and home to the ruins of the Hittite cult city of Nerik, an exceptional underground construction complex was excavated between 2009 and 2019. The building complex, dating back to the Late Bronze Age/Hittite period, consists of a long staircase leading into a chamber with an artificial spring. In the chamber, which lies around nine metres below the present surface level and in the groundwater horizon, a large number of ancient wood finds have come to light that have been preserved in a low-oxygen environment. A particular highlight was the discovery of a wooden structure installed into the chamber and likewise dating back to the Late Bronze Age/Hittite period, which can be interpreted as a water-drain installation. The meticulously preserved wooden structure consisted of two massive blocks encasing a holed trunk, likely serving as a controlled water outlet. Along with the spring chamber, this unique installation provided crucial insights into ancient wood use, water management, and cultic practices. This article presents the results of the first dendroarchaeological analysis of the wooden installation conducted by the Balkan-Aegean Dendrochronology Project (BAD Project). The analysis aimed to identify the wood type used for the installation and establish an absolute date for its construction. Wood anatomical analysis identified the species as Pinus brutia, indicating local timber usage. Radiocarbon dating and wiggle-matching modelling placed the installation’s construction between 1525 and 1426 BCE, corroborating an earlier 14C dating. Despite challenges in cross-dating, these findings offer a crucial anchor for understanding the Late Bronze Age settlement of Nerik and its broader historical context, shedding light on socio-historical dynamics and cultural practices in the Central Black Sea Region. The absence of overlapping reference chronologies from the region underscores the need for further regional dendrochronological research for which our study lays the first foundations.