The project BArCH-Wood, carried out as part of Eutopia network and University of Ljubljana student research initiatives, brings together 8 students and 5 mentors, representing five different departments and three Schools at University of Ljubljana.
The interdisciplinary team consists of archaeological, chemical, wood science and pedological researchers. Their aim is to study the impact of environmental changes on the buried wood found in the archaeological sites of the Ljubljana Marsh.
As part of the project, they will simulate the environment in the Ljubljana Marsh and try to model how the rapid weather changes affect the buried archaeological wood. In the first part of the project, they will carry out initial soil probing to determine the properties of the soil in which the wood samples will be buried for later monitoring. A test trench will then be excavated in which both recent and archeological wood samples will be buried at different depths in order to observe their response to changes in weather conditions.
At the end, they will model and analyse the correlation between the changes of weather conditions and the recorded changes in moisture of the wood samples. Monitoring the wood samples in an experimental environment, similar to the one in the Ljubljana Marsh, will allow them to make an important contribution to the development of approaches for monitoring and preservation of buried archaeological wooden structures. Based on the results of the study, they will formulate a proposal for the development of a methodological approach for researching the impacts of climate change on buried archaeological wood. The intended long-term contribution of the project is advancement of sustainable heritage conservation and especially monitoring strategies.
Duration: 1.4.2024 – 30.9.2024
Code: 20-PED.RSF S.E.1.2LNA-11 RSF BArCh-WooD UTOPIA. Funding is provided by University of Ljubljana, Development pillar (Razvojni steber financiranja).
Partners of the project:
Leading partner
Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
Heritage Science Laboratory
Project lead: Lana Nastja Anžur
Mentor: Špela Pok
Student researchers: Adam Modic and Jan Matoh
Other partners
Biotechnical Faculty
Department of Wood Science
Mentor: Meta Pivk
Student researcher: Ambrož Rupnik
Department of pedology
Mentors: Agni Prijatelj and dr. Marko Zupan
Student researcher: Nejc Golob
Faculty of Arts
Department of Archaeology
Student researchers: Alen Iršič, Nina Bratušek, Igor Srnel Purič and Zvonka Janežič
You can follow the project Instagram account for more updates.