Method and process in the reconstruction process

The method used in the reconstruction of Södra Råda Old Church is based on the craftsmen's own preliminary surveys of medieval timber churches, pictorial material and measurements, as well as on experiments and laboratory work that have been repeatedly evaluated and updated.

The method has been crucial for several new discoveries and the understanding of medieval craftsmanship. By the craftsmen themselves carrying out a process and analyzing the tool marks that arise during the work, their ability to recognize tool marks in the medieval material increases. Of course, there is no universal way of carrying out a work process either today or then, but at many stages there is a fairly small variation of execution processes that are more or less likely. The reasoning about the processes that the carpenters have worked with often follows a basic model, but where small differences between craftsmen can be emphasized.

All in all, the method provided a very likely authentic way of working that corresponds well with the way the medieval craftsman performed the craft.