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Table 2 Summary of indices commonly used as indicators of loss of wood substance

From: A review of analytical methods for assessing preservation in waterlogged archaeological wood and their application in practice

Parameter

Definition

Method

Reference

Maximum water content (MWC)

The amount of water in the totally waterlogged sample as a percentage of the dry mass

Sample is weighed both waterlogged and oven dry

[24, 42]

Basic density

The ratio between the waterlogged volume and the dry mass

The waterlogged volume is calculated (e.g. by displacement), then sample is weighed dry

[43, 44]

Residual density

The ratio between the basic density and the average density of non-degraded wood

Basic density divided by the density for non-degraded wood of the same species

[45]

Shrinkage

The size of the dry sample as a percentage of the size of the waterlogged sample

Sample is measured in three planes before and after drying

[3, 45]

Porosity

The fraction of the volume of a sample not occupied by the cell wall material

The waterlogged volume is compared to the pore volume (measured using a gas pycnometer)

[42, 46]