The Romanesque frieze at Lincoln Cathedral (England) - primary or secondary insertion? Magnetic considerations

The current debate about the age of the Romanesque frieze of Lincoln Cathed ral weight archaeological evidence against art history. On the one hand, th e panels appear to be an integral part of the original Norman structure bui lt by the first bishop (AD 1072-92). However, on grounds of style and artis tic comparisons, art historians argue for a later installation during the r estoration of AD 1141-6. In order to determine when the panels were stabili zed in the cathedral, we used a new method that measures their degree of re magnetization by the earth's magnetic field since they were quarried. The l onger that masonry remains stabilized in a given orientation, the greater i ts viscous remagnetization. Viscous remanent magnetization dating has previ ously been successful with this particular type of limestone masonry. Our r esults lend support to the view that the panels were installed in the early 1140s.