Dendrochronological analysis of timber from the 5th mil. BC in Central Europe
Manuel Broich, Silviane Scharl, Thorsten Westphal, Thomas Frank
Based on dendrochronological and dendroclimatological methods, the role of short- and medium-dated climatic variations for changes in early agricultural systems of the 5th mil. BC will analysed.
As a first step, a revision of measurements of the annual tree ring width on subfossil oaks (Quercus spp.) from the Rhineland, the Weser area and Schleswig-Holstein will be done (fig. 1). This aims at the establishment of a tree ring calendar for the 5th mil. BC. Next to this, further tree ring parameters will be gathered that allow to draw conclusions on potential environmental changes. This comprises the measurement of tree ring width of early wood and late wood, blue intensity index (BI) of the late wood and analysis of stable isotopes (δ18O and δ13C) on cellulose of late wood. This allows to provide high resolution palaeoclimatic data that can be combined with the results of the other disciplines in order to gain deeper insights into human-environment-interaction during the 5th mil. BC.