In 2023, experimental work on timber began in the TiMMA project, in collaboration with the French School of Athens and the UMR 7041 ArScAn. The project focuses on reconstructing a small building inspired by Protopalatial Minoan architecture from the Quartier Mu at Malia (Crete), led by Maia Pomadere (Univ. Paris 1, UMR 7041 ArScAn).

The team. From left to right: N. Daroukakis, E. Tsakanika, P. Bacoup, V. Loescher and E. Maragoudaki (© photograph M. Pomadere)

Phase 1: Reconstructing Mud Brick Wall Elements (24 May – 4 June 2023)

The first experimental phase aimed to reconstruct the wooden elements of the mud brick walls of a 15 m² building.

Hypothetical 3D rendering of the future experimental building (© 3D rendering P. Bacoup)

For three of the walls, the elements consisted of longitudinal and transverse pieces of wood — either round and debarked, or squared. The fourth wall allowed reconstruction of a door and window unit, inspired by remains from the 'Crypte hypostyle' at Malia and buildings at Akrotiri (Santorini). Bronze tools (saws, adzes, axes, wedges, hammers, chisels) replicated from Mycenaean archaeological objects were used, alongside wooden tools inspired by Egyptian and continental elements from the same period.

Set of tools used during the experiment. (© photograph V. Loescher)

Woodworking Techniques Tested

Various techniques for shaping pieces of wood were tested, including squaring with adzes, radial splitting, tangential splitting, cross-cutting, and sawing logs of various diameters.

Splitting a log into two parts (diameter: 45 cm) (© photograph P. Bacoup)

Sawing a door jamb (© photograph E. Maragoudaki)

Joining Techniques

Two joining techniques attested during the Bronze Age in Crete were tested: lap joint and mortise-and-tenon. A third technique — the use of loose tenons to join two superimposed horizontal pieces of wood — was planned for testing in July during the assembly of the entire structure.

Shaping a lap joint (© photograph C. Langohr)

Cutting a tenon (© photograph E. Maragoudaki)

Hollowing out a mortise (© photograph V. Loescher)

Data Collection & Methodology