Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The History of Dendrochronology and Radiocarbon Calibration

  • Conference paper
Radiocarbon After Four Decades

Abstract

The field of dendrochronology has developed during the first decades of this century. Tree-ring dating was the only method of precise age determination until the 1950s, when the radiocarbon dating method was developed. It is a fascinating chapter in the history of research to observe the immediate interdisciplinary cooperation between tree-ring dating and radiocarbon dating that started in the 1950s and continues up to this day with increasing importance. This chapter presents a brief historical overview of the development of superlong Holocene tree-ring calendars and the calibration of the radiocarbon time scale derived from tree-ring measurements, with a synopsis of the actual stage of research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bard, E, Hamelin, B, Fairbanks, RG and Zindler, A 1990 Calibration of the 14C time scale over the past 30,000 years using mass spectrometric U-Th ages from Barbados corals. Nature 345: 405–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B, Billamboz, A, Egger, H, Gassmann, P, Orcel, A, Orcel, C and Ruoff, U 1985 Dendrochronologie in der Ur-und Frühgeschichte. Antigua 11: 1–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B, Delorme, A and Schmidt, B 1977 Koordination der Jahrringforschung beim

    Google Scholar 

  • Aufbau einer postglazialen Eichenchronologie. In Frenzel, B ed, Dendrochronologie und postglaziale Klimaschwankungen. Erdwissenschaftliche Forschungen XIII: 143–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B and Giertz-Siebenlist, V 1970 Eine über 1100-jährige mitteleuropäische Tannenchronologie. Flora 159: 310–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B, Krause, R and Kromer, B 1989 Zur absoluten Chronologie der Frühen Bronzezeit. Germania 67: 421–442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B and Kromer, B 1991 Dendrochronology and radiocarbon calibration of the Early Holocene. In Barton, N, Roe, D and Roberts, A, eds, The late glacial of northwest Europe. BAR International Series,in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B, Kromer, B and Trimborn, P 1991 A stable isotope tree-ring timescale of the Late Glacial/Holocene boundary. Nature,in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, B and Schmidt, B, in press, Extension of the European oak chronology to the past 9924 years. In Mook, WG and Waterbolk, HT, eds, 2nd International Symposium, Archaeology and 14C. PACT 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damon, PE 1987 The history of the calibration of radiocarbon dates by dendrochronology. In Aurenche, O, Evin, J and Hours, F, eds, Chronologies du Proche Orient. BAR International Series 379(i): 61–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Douglass, AE 1935 Dating Pueblo Bonito and other ruins of the Southwest. National Geographical Society, Contributed Technical Papers, Pueblo Bonito Series 1: 174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, CW 1969 A 7104-year annual tree-ring chronology for bristlecone pine, Pinus aristata, from the White Mountains, California. Tree Ring Bulletin 29 (3–4): 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, CW and Graybill, DA 1983 Dendrochronology of Bristlecone Pine: A progress report. In Stuiver, M and Kra, RS, eds, Proceedings of the 11th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 25(2): 287–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, CW, Huber, B and Suess, HE 1966 Determination of the age of Swiss lake dwellings as an example of dendrochronologically-calibrated radiocarbon dating. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 21 (34): 1173–1177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber, B and Giertz-Siebenlist, V 1969 Unsere tausendjährige Eichen-Jahrringchronologie durchschnittlich 57(10–159) fach belegt: Sitzungsbericht der Österr. Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathmatesch-NaturwissenschaftlicheKlasse 178 (1–4): 37–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber, B and Merz, W 1963 Jahrring-chronologische Synchronisierung der jungsteinzeitlichen Siedlungen ThayngenWeier und Burgäschisee-Süd und Südwest. Germania 41: 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jong, AFM de, Mook, WG and Becker, B 1979 Confirmation of the Suess wiggles 3200–3800 BC. Nature 280: 48–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kromer, B, Rhein, M, Bruns, M, Schoch-Fischer, H, Münnich, KO, Stuiver, M and Becker, B 1986 Radiocarbon calibration data for the 6th to the 8th millennia BC. In Stuiver, M and Kra, RS, eds, Proceedings of the 12th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 28(2B): 954–960.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leuschner, HH and Delorme, A 1988 Tree-ring work in Göttingen. Absolute oak chronologies back to 6255 BC. PACT 22 (II.5): 123–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linick, TW, Suess, HE and Becker, B 1985 La Jolla measurements of radiocarbon on south German oak tree-ring chronologies. Radiocarbon 27 (1): 20–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milojcic, V 1957 Zur Anwendbarkeit der 14-C Datierungen. Germania 35: 102–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milojcic, V 1958 Zur Anwendbarkeit der 14-C Datierungen. Germania 36: 409–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milojcic, V 1961 Zur Anwendbarkeit der 14-C Datierungen. Germania 39: 434–455.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münnich, KO 1957 Heidelberg natural radiocarbon measurements I. Science 126: 194–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsson, IU, ed 1970 Radiocarbon Variations and Absolute Chronology. Proceedings of the 12th Nobel Symposium. Stockholm, Almqvist Wiksell: 652 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, GW, Becker, B and Qua, F, in press, High-precision 14C measurement of German oaks to show the natural 14C variations from 7980 to 5000 BC. Radiocarbon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, GW, Pilcher, JR, Baillie, MGL, Corbett, DM and Qua, F 1986 High-precision 14C measurement of Irish oak to show the natural 14C variations from AD 1840 to 5210 BC. In Stuiver, M and Kra RS, eds, Proceedings of the 12th International 10C Conference. Radiocarbon 28 (2B): 911–934.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, GW, Pilcher, JR, Baillie, MGL and Hillam, J 1977 Absolute radiocarbon dating using a low altitude European tree-ring calibration. Nature 270: 25–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, GW and Stuiver, M 1986 High-precision calibration of the radiocarbon time scale, AD 1959–2500 BC. In Stuiver, M and Kra, RS, eds, Proceedings of the 12th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 28(2B): 839–862.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilcher, JR, Baillie, MGL, Schmidt, B and Becker B 1984 A 7,272 year tree-ring chronology for western Europe. Nature 312: 150–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pilcher, JR, Hillam, J, Baillie, MGL and Pearson, GW 1977 A long sub-fossil oak tree-ring chronology from the north of Ireland. New Phytologist 79: 713–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plicht, J, van der and Mook, WG 1989 Calibration of radiocarbon ages by computer. In Long, A and Kra, RS, eds, Proceedings of the 13th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 31(3): 805–816.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renfrew, C 1973 Before Civilization. New York, Alfred Knopf: 292 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renfrew, C 1977 Ancient Europe is older then we thought. National Geographic Magazine 152: 615–662.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulman, E 1958 Bristlecone pine, oldest living thing. National Geographic Magazine 123 (3): 355–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver, M and Braziunas, TF 1989 Atmospheric 14C and century-scale solar oscillations. Nature 338 (6214): 405–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver, M, Braziunas, TF, Becker, B and Kromer, B 1991 Climatic, solar, oceanic and geomagnetic influences on the Late Glacial and Holocene atmospheric 14C/12C change. Quaternary Research 35: 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver, M and Kra, RS, eds 1986 Calibration Issue. Proceedings of the 12th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 28 (2B): 805–1030.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver, M and Pearson, GW 1986 High-precision calibration of the radiocarbon time scale, AD 1950 to 500 BC. In Stuiver, M and Kra, RS, eds, Proceedings of the 12th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 28(2B): 805–838.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver, M and Reimer, PJ 1986 A computer program for radiocarbon age calculation. In Stuiver, M and Kra, RS, eds, Proceedings of the 12th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 28(2B): 1022–1030.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suess, HE 1961 Secular variations in the concentration of atmospheric radiocarbon. In Proceedings of an informal conference, Problems Related to Interplanetary Matter. Highland Park: 90–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suess, HE 1965 Secular variations of the cosmic-ray-produced carbon-14 in the atmosphere and their interpretations. Journal of Geophysical Research 70: 5937–5952.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suess, HE 1980 Radiocarbon geophysics. Endeavour, New Series 4 (3): 113–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vries, H de 1959 Measurement and use of natural radiocarbon. In Abelson, PH, ed, Research in Geochemistry. New York, John Wiley Sons: 169–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willis, EH, Tauber, H and Münnich, KO 1960 Variations in the atmospheric radiocarbon concentration over the past 1300 years. American Journal of Science Radiocarbon Supplement 2: 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Bernd Becker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Riverside, 92521-0418, Riverside, CA, USA

    R. E. Taylor

  2. Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona, 85721, Tuscon, AZ, USA

    Austin Long  & Renee S. Kra  & 

Additional information

Dedicated to the memory of C W Ferguson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this paper

Cite this paper

Becker, B. (1992). The History of Dendrochronology and Radiocarbon Calibration. In: Taylor, R.E., Long, A., Kra, R.S. (eds) Radiocarbon After Four Decades. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4249-7_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4249-7_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4251-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4249-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation