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Research aims


Archaeobark is a 3 years research project running from 1.10.24 to 30.9.2027  to investigate the identification, relevance and conservation of prehistoric bark objects, focusing on linden bark from the 6th millennium BC to the Bronze Age. 
In prehistoric times, the inner and outer bark of a few tree species such as willow, oak, birch, poplar and linden was used to make everyday objects. Their uses ranged from clothing to vessels for storing and preparing food or fishing equipment. The study of these objects, which have only survived in specific contexts, opens up new ways of interpreting human history. Unfortunately, these objects are rarely recognized, not only because of their ephemeral nature, but also because of the lack of knowledge about their identification and preservation.
We will examine an exceptional corpus of very early bark vessels from Linear Pottery wells and a series of Late Neolithic and Bronze Age cylindrical vessels from Saxony, and compare them with published vessels from circum-alpine lacustrine settlements. 

In details:

  • We will develop a key for identifying lime bark based solely on stereomicroscopic analysis, which can be used by archaeologists and conservators in the field and in the laboratory, and highlight when such a key might fail. 
  • We will use light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the morphology and anatomy of contemporary and archaeological lime bark, both restored and unrestored, to identify pathways of degradation. Samples will also be characterised by their moisture sorption isotherm, as this has been shown to be a reliable proxy for embrittlement. Current and past consolidation and drying methods will be investigated through structured interviews and archival research, while the effects of different consolidation and drying methods will be studied using micro-computed tomography (µCT). Finally, we will investigate for the first time possible cell damage due to freeze-drying and storage. 
  • The prehistoric bark vessels from Saxony will be studied in detail. A careful study of their construction and use, both microscopically and macroscopically, will allow us to understand their production and use. The results will form the basis for a contextual and comparative study of bark vessels in Central Europe and their role in the material cultures of the respective Neolithic and Bronze Age communities.

Our vision is that bark objects are identified, interpreted and conserved as central testimonies of prehistoric societies in Europe.





The research project Archaeobark: Identification, Conservation and Significance of Prehistoric Bark Vessels is a project of the Institut Materialität in Kunst und Kultur (IMIKUK) of the Bern Academy of the Arts (HKB) in cooperation with the Archaeological Services of the Canton Bern (ADB), Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA), Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Baden-Württenberg, (LfD), Landesamt für Archäologie Sachsen (LfA) and Leipzig University. It is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).