A dendrochronologist is a professional who studies tree rings to determine dates and the chronological order of past events. Dendrochronologists create master sequences of tree ring data going back thousands of years in some locations.

What can dendrochronology be used for?

Dendrochronology is an invaluable tool to help scientists determine the age of ancient settlements and artifacts. Archaeologists have a group of unlikely allies: trees. Dendrochronology, the scientific method of studying tree rings, can pinpoint the age of archaeological sites using information stored inside old wood.

What is one technique used by Dendrochronologists to analyze tree samples?

crossdating (dendrochronologys fundamental technique) matching ring-growth characteristics across many samples from a homogeneous area (area of similar environmental conditions) permits identification of EXACT year of formation for each ring. skeleton plotting is one method of crossdating.

What can tree rings tell us?

What do tree rings tell us. The underlying patterns of wide or narrow rings record the year-to-year fluctuations in the growth of trees. The patterns, therefore, often contain a weather history at the location the tree grew, in addition to its age.