Chronologies in clay: Brick sizes as a regional dating method in medieval flanders

This study develops a reference chronology of brick sizes for medieval Bruges (Belgium) using systematically measured bricks from well-dated buildings spanning the early thirteenth to late sixteenth centuries. The results show clear diachronic trends in brick dimensions during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, followed by a long phase of standardisation. The chronology is tested as a dating tool through case studies of major Bruges monuments, where brick size analysis confirms or refines construction dates derived from documentary and architectural evidence. Additional cases from more distant locations are used to assess the method’s wider geographical applicability. These demonstrate reduced reliability beyond the Bruges region but, importantly, the methodology itself remains inherently transferable, offering a replicable and transparent research protocol, enabling future research on other datasets of dated brick sizes. The findings also provide insights into regional building practices and differences in the organisation and regulation of brick production.