Premium
A micropalaeontologically based provenance analysis of masonry and floor tiles from the medieval cathedral of Paderborn (northern Germany)
Author(s) -
Lübke N.,
Mutterlose J.,
Börste N.,
Kaplan U.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/arcm.12394
Subject(s) - provenance , masonry , geology , lithology , archaeology , oil shale , mining engineering , paleontology , history
The medieval Paderborn Cathedral in Germany underwent five main construction phases in its 1200‐year‐long history. The uniform lithology of the masonry does not allow a precise reconstruction of the source of the material. Unique shale floor tiles of the 11th‐century building, excavated recently, are of unknown origin. Micropalaeontology is here used for an analysis of the provenance of the masonry and tiles. The data indicate that in the course of its building history, geographically and geologically different areas supplied the limestones of the cathedral. Microfossils from the dark tiles suggest the material was mined south‐east of Paderborn.