Re-dating the English art-historical tree-ring chronologies

Precisely dated oak (Quercus petraea Liebl. and Q. robur L. and their hybrids) tree-ring chronologies that show consistent cross-dating from Germany to England to Ireland^1,2 have been labelled Type H³. In contrast, there have been difficulties in specifying the exact date ranges of some oak chronologies (termed Type A)³ constructed from art-historical timbers in England^4,5 and the Netherlands ^6,7. It has been asserted that the oak planks and boards used in the English art-historical chronologies derived from England and Flanders ^3,8. The failure of these chronologies to date uniquely against Type H chronologies from the British Isles has led to suggestions that the timbers were imports, probably from the Baltic area^1,9, views supported by historical evidence^10,11. It has also been suggested that the dating procedure used for these chronologies has an element of circularity which could result in an erroneous placement of the chronologies going undetected ¹². Evidence is presented here which indicates that the art-historical chronologies have been incorrectly dated, that they represent imports into England and Flanders and that failure to take account of exotic origins has led to the use of unsuitable estimates for missing sapwood.