geog3839.9, the history of dendrochronology

H I S T O R Y O F D E N D R O C H R O N O L O G Y

NOT ONMID-TERM

THE PRINCIPLE OF

ECOLOGICAL AMPLITUDE

THE PRINCIPLE OF

SITE SELECTION

THE PRINCIPLE OF

AGGREGATE TREE GROWTH

THE PRINCIPLE OF

REPLICATION

STANDARDIZATION

THE PRINCIPLE OF

CROSS-DATING

RINGS IN THE BRANCHES OF SAWED TREES SHOW

THE NUMBER OF YEARS AND, ACCORDING TO THEIR

THICKNESS, THE YEARS WHICH WERE

MORE OR LESS

DRY.

“

”Leonardo da Vinci

Photograph: Anshul Nigham

“

”Theophrastus (371 - 287 BC)

... and if one forces a stone or similarobject into a tree, it becomes hidden,since the new growth surrounds it,as was the case with the wild olive treewhich stood in the market place at Megara.

Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau1700 - 1782

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Bu!on1707 - 1788

Photograph: Fri!s Schweingruber

Frost ring Pinus sibirica

1737!1708

Carl Linnaeus 1707 - 1778

Photograph: brewbooks

Alexander Twining1801 - 1884

“...every tree told the same story.”

Tucson, AZ

Flagsta!, AZ

Andrew Douglass (right) Flagsta! 1898

Photograph: Sam Wise

Lowell Observatory Flagsta! Arizona

Tucson, AZ

Photograph: Howard Arno!

Photograph: Christine and John Fournier

We do not know how old these ruins are, but I should be glad to have an opinion from you as to whether it might be possible to connect up with your modern and dated trees specimens [with wood specimens] from these [prehistoric] ruins by correlating the curves of growth…

“

”Clark Wissler to A.E. Douglass, 1909

Aztec Ruin

Publo Bonita

Photograph: Sco! Catron

Aztec Ruin National Monument New Mexico

Photograph: Chris M

Pueblo Bonito New Mexico

Pueblo Bonito New Mexico (before it was excavated)

Photograph: Stones 55

Wupatki New Mexico

National Geographic ‘Beam Expeditions’ 1920s

Show Low, AZ

$5for

100 rings

$65for

100 rings2011 dollars

1900180017001600150014001300

Living-tree chronology

‘Floating’ chronology

1900180017001600150014001300

HH-39

Living-tree chronology

‘Floating’ chronology

1900180017001600150014001300

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HH-39

Living-tree chronology

‘Floating’ chronology

For the three of us, the experience was unforge!able. To be present at the instance of the celebrated breakthrough in science that set the chronological house in order for the Southwestern United States was reward enough. But beyond that, was the privilege to work for a time at the side of Douglass, the scholar, the astronomer turned archaeologist.

“

”Emil Haury, 1962

Tree-ring display at elementary school

Photograph: Tom Swetnam

FUTURELAB EXERCISE

Photograph: Kurt Kipfmueller

Photograph: Kurt Kipfmueller

Photograph: Kurt Kipfmueller

Photograph: Calvin Farris

Photograph: Calvin Farris

Photograph: Calvin Farris