Dendrochronology - Video
MVAC Research Intern Cindy Kocik discusses dendrochronology (tree-ring dating). This technique provides an effective and accurate tool for archaeologists to date wood objects and structures. Dendrochronology involves observing and analyzing patterns in the widths of annual tree-rings. When these patterns match with calendar-dated wood specimens, a process called crossdating, it becomes possible to assign a calendar year to each growth ring. The years of the outermost rings, the last the tree grew, can then aid in determining construction dates, as shown here with a case study from New York State. Analyses can also offer insight into where the trees the wood came from originally grew, climate trends, and the timing of ecological events like forest fires.