WOOD SELECTION OF ANCIENT TEMPLES IN THE SIKKIM HIMALAYAS

Abstract

Microscopic wood identifications were performed on five Buddhist temple structures and on one secular building located in Sikkim, an Indian state in the Eastern Himalayas. In all, twenty wood species were identified, two of which – Michelia (Magnolia) doltsopa and Picea cf. spinulosa – were considered in more detail. Building type, specific physical and mechanical properties of the wood species, local availability, and religious considerations were apparently the leading criteria for timber selection.