négatifs de boulins, clefs ou jougs

English translation: putlog, strut or joist holes

19:10 Feb 9, 2016
French to English translations [PRO]
Archaeology / Description of the construction technique known as \'rammed earth\'.
French term or phrase: négatifs de boulins, clefs ou jougs
The context is:

Il faut cependant noter en plan la présence d'une quinzaine de négatifs de boulins, clefs ou jougs de profil quadrangulaire traversant le sommet de la structure. Ces négatifs sont appelés 'réserves'.

This section of the article describes a 10th century 'rammed-earth' Great Wall and the significance of the postholes that have been discovered.

'négatifs' also appears earlier in the article:

Les négatifs de dix-sept trous de poteau courent le long de la structure.  
Hazel Le Goff
Local time: 21:37
English translation:putlog, strut or joist holes
Explanation:
A putlog hole is a small hole in the wall of a building, designed to accomodate the ends of beams (putlogs), especially prevalent in the medieval period.
http://www.tithebarns.co.uk/terminology.html

joug de solive f. m. Nom qu’on donne aux côtés des solives, considérés par l’entrevous
http://rcppm.org/blog/pro-et-chercheurs/vocabulaire/

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Note added at 15 hrs (2016-02-10 10:43:16 GMT)
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Correction (to accommodate 2nd example):

imprints of putlog, strut or joist holes

Imprints of planks and other forms of wood used in construction are also evident in the west block at Lincoln....
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jMURu7Hfx6kC&pg=PA297&lp...

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Note added at 15 hrs (2016-02-10 10:49:40 GMT)
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Putlogs, or holes where scaffolding timbers were insert, are clearly visible in several of the towers
http://roaringwaterjournal.com/tag/dunmanus-castle/

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Note added at 15 hrs (2016-02-10 10:57:40 GMT)
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or; impressions left by putlogs, struts or joists

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Note added at 17 hrs (2016-02-10 12:37:53 GMT)
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Négatif de poteau en bois. Empreinte de plan circulaire d’un diamètre
15 cm et 10 cm de profondeur, observée dans le sable 69032 et colmatée d’argile grise.
https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01134009/file/Liv...

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Note added at 17 hrs (2016-02-10 13:00:38 GMT)
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Another option, if the holes are in the ground!

The curving edge of the post void indicated that a post with a circular cross-section had been used and fragments of wood remained adhering to the edge of the concrete.
https://library.thehumanjourney.net/1450/1/L10357_SpekeHall_...

The size and depth of the holes and the evidence of the post void suggest a building of some size,
http://oxoniensia.org/volumes/1975/miles2.pdf
Selected response from:

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 22:37
Grading comment
Many thanks, Wendy. I should also like to thank Peter for his input regarding 'négatifs'.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +2putlog, strut or joist holes
Wendy Streitparth
Summary of reference entries provided
Wendy Streitparth
Images that may help
Peter Shortall

Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
putlog, strut or joist holes


Explanation:
A putlog hole is a small hole in the wall of a building, designed to accomodate the ends of beams (putlogs), especially prevalent in the medieval period.
http://www.tithebarns.co.uk/terminology.html

joug de solive f. m. Nom qu’on donne aux côtés des solives, considérés par l’entrevous
http://rcppm.org/blog/pro-et-chercheurs/vocabulaire/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2016-02-10 10:43:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Correction (to accommodate 2nd example):

imprints of putlog, strut or joist holes

Imprints of planks and other forms of wood used in construction are also evident in the west block at Lincoln....
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jMURu7Hfx6kC&pg=PA297&lp...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2016-02-10 10:49:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Putlogs, or holes where scaffolding timbers were insert, are clearly visible in several of the towers
http://roaringwaterjournal.com/tag/dunmanus-castle/

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2016-02-10 10:57:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or; impressions left by putlogs, struts or joists

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2016-02-10 12:37:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Négatif de poteau en bois. Empreinte de plan circulaire d’un diamètre
15 cm et 10 cm de profondeur, observée dans le sable 69032 et colmatée d’argile grise.
https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01134009/file/Liv...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2016-02-10 13:00:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another option, if the holes are in the ground!

The curving edge of the post void indicated that a post with a circular cross-section had been used and fragments of wood remained adhering to the edge of the concrete.
https://library.thehumanjourney.net/1450/1/L10357_SpekeHall_...

The size and depth of the holes and the evidence of the post void suggest a building of some size,
http://oxoniensia.org/volumes/1975/miles2.pdf

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Local time: 22:37
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Many thanks, Wendy. I should also like to thank Peter for his input regarding 'négatifs'.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: but this question really should have been squashed since it's multiple terms/congrats for putting in the time and effort!
1 hr
  -> Thanks. Yes - would've saved me a lot of time on the bits I wasn't so sure about!

neutral  Peter Shortall: Perhaps this is right in the asker's first sentence, but the second says "les négatifs de dix-sept trous" - holes of holes? I'm wondering if here, it means the darker earth that ends up filling the hole after a wooden post rots away (post moulds/pipes).
3 hrs
  -> Hope you approve of the correction!

agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: Perhaps the idea of "négatif" of a hole is in fact describing waht remains of the holes in question?
14 hrs
  -> Thanks, Nikki. I was assuming that the holes were in a vertical structure, which could affect the translation.
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Reference comments


42 mins
Reference

Reference information:
trou de jougs ou de clés :
orifice dans un mur de pisé où se logeaient les pièces de bois qui
tenaient les banches en haut et en bas
·
trou de boulin
(ou barrier)
: trou dans un mur où s’appuyaient les échafaudages

http://www.cunac.fr/userfiles/files/Histoire/Regard sur l�...

Wendy Streitparth
Germany
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs
Reference: Images that may help

Reference information:
You can see a picture of a négatif in the image entitled "Document 4" here, it shows up as a patch of darker earth in the centre of an earth-filled posthole:

Trou de poteau et négatif du poteau visible en coupe
http://a2t.univ-tours.fr/notice.php?id=229&menu=Cartes&num=3...

A similar picture can be found here ("On distingue au centre le « négatif » de la pièce de bois")
http://www.eveha.fr/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/depliant_sori...

The word "négatifs" crops up a lot in this archaeological text, and you can see them on a few of the plans. You can see them inside some postholes and they have smaller dimensions than the holes. Not all postholes contain them.
http://racf.revues.org/1616?lang=en

I suspect they might be post moulds (also known as post pipes), see this definition:

"Post pipe – This is the stain, or impression, of the post that was once there but has rotted away."
http://theyoungarchaeologist.com/2014/08/01/what-is-a-post-h...

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Note added at 16 hrs (2016-02-10 12:02:39 GMT)
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Not that I can find, but apparently there is also a Young Archaeologists' Club. It's nice to see young people getting enthusiastic about the subject, the legacy of Time Team lives on!

Peter Shortall
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Note to reference poster
Asker: I agree, Peter, and that is why I included the second occurrence of the word 'négatifs'. A hole of a hole did flumoxx me!!! I am veering towards 'post pipe'. Moroever, they are then referred to as 'réserves' which ties in nicely with the idea of something that was once there and has rotted away. Just out of interest, is there a website called 'theoldarchaeologist'???

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