Comparing the Dating of Mazandaran’s Saqanefars Using Dendrochronology and Thermoluminescence methods.(Case Study: Qaemshahr City)

Saqanefar is a wooden structure in the Mazandaran province that serves a religious function. Despite the historical and cultural significance of Mazandaran Saqanefars, they have not been precisely dated using scientific and reliable methods, with research mainly focusing on their inner paintings or architecture. In this method, first of all, the timber and columns of the two-span structure were sampled with a growth age drill and photographs of the sections were taken. Then the prepared wooden samples were measured under the LINTAB measuring device with an accuracy of 0.01 mm and the image samples were measured with ImageJ software. To evaluate thermoluminescence, samples of foundation Saqanefar bricks were prepared and transferred to the laboratory for dating. This study, for the first time, determined the age of two old Saqanefars in Qaemshahr city (Vosta-Kola and Seyd-Abusaleh) using dendrochronology and thermoluminescence methods. In the dendrochronological approach, cross-dating of the oak reference tree-ring width series in the Gorgan region with samples extracted from Saqanefars revealed that these buildings were constructed during the Qajar period (Vosata Kala, in 1856 AD and Seyd Abosaleh, in 1881 AD), with restorations and changes in dimensions occurring in subsequent periods. The results of the thermoluminescence tests conducted on the foundation bricks of Saqanefars with a five-year fluctuation revealed that Seyd-Abusaleh Saqanefar was constructed 140 years ago while the annexed part to Vosta-Kola Saqanefar is approximately 50 years old. Comparison of these two methods confirms that dendrochronology is a more accurate method of determining age of architectural structures, provided that appropriate wooden samples are available.