Vladimir S. Myglan

Calendar dating of archaeological wood presupposes the existence of long-term tree-ring chronologies. Until recently, the development of such chronologies for the Novosibirsk Region remained an unanswered challenge. Several methodological issues had to be addressed, including the assessment of spatial homogeneity in dendrochronological signals across the region, the enhancement of the composite climatic signal contained within tree growth patterns (achieved through modern approaches to sample preparation and measurement of linear parameters of annual tree rings in archaeological wood), etc. To address these challenges, in 2016–2023, wood cores were sampled from 12 sites in forest stands dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), along with those from seven architectural structures in the Novosibirsk Region. The application of modern digital methodologies enabled us to construct a treering chronology network. The analysis revealed homogeneous tree-ring signals across the region, demonstrating that regional and composite chronologies provide a basis for reliable calendar dating of wood from 18th–19th century historical structures in the region. The study resulted in the development of a long-term generalized Nov chronology, spanning 375 years, by pooling samples from living trees and archaeological wood, with EPS ≥ 0.85 for the most recent 318-year segment. Results demonstrate that residual (res) chronologies should be preferentially employed for cross-dating procedures in the Novosibirsk Region.

The study of rural architectural objects is an important topic in the research of regional building traditions. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of a house located at 28 Severnaya Street in the Shapsha village (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). The approximate age of the house was estimated on the basis of architectural features, after that, a dendrochronological analysis was carried out to confirm the proposed date. The house is a five-walled structure (pyatistenok) built using the ‘log cup’ (v chashu) technique, which corresponds to the regional construction tradition, the porch of the house is designed in an eclectic style with Art Nouveau elements. Based on the architectural features, the house was dated to the late 19th – early 20th century. For the dendrochronological analysis, 16 cores were taken from the northwestern, northeastern, and southeastern parts of the building. Standard laboratory processing of the collection was carried out using digital dendrochronology, after which the samples were measured and cross-dated with each other. As a result, a 259-year tree-ring chronology was derived. For calendar dating, two chronologies from this region were used: (1) one based on living trees in the vicinity of Shapsha village and (2) the “Gorn” chronology which was built to date the Gornopravdinsky burial ground. As a result, the series showed a high correlation coefficient with the burial ground chronology. The dating revealed four age groups of samples, the latest of which dates to 1900–1906. Since no sapwood rings are present on any of the samples, it is concluded that the house was built not earlier than 1906. It was established that the wide range of age groups does not indicate repairs or renovations of the house structure. Consequently, the dendrochronological analysis confirmed the conclusions drawn from the architectural analysis regarding the dating of the site to the early 20th century. The derived data expanded the dendrochronological database for dating archaeological sites in the region.

The article examines the results of comprehensive dating of an urban manor located at 106 Ilya Mukhachev St. Three methods were applied to obtain the dates: architectural and ethnographic analysis, analysis of written sources, and dendrochronological dating. The architectural description of the buildings in the manor complex is provided. Based on the decorative ornamentation of the residential house in the Eclecticism style with Art Nouveau elements, the manor was attributed to the late 19th to early 20th centuries. According to the decree approving the protected status of the cultural heritage object, the house is dated to 1897. The dendrochronological method was employed to determine the actual construction time. As a result of processing 28 samples, a 201-year floating chronology was generated. To obtain absolute dates, a network of reference tree-ring chronologies based on the width of annual rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), developed in the Altai Territory, was used. Ultimately, the dendrochronological method revealed that the construction time of the manor was earlier than previously indicated: the house no earlier than 1863, and the carriage shed—1872, respectively. Hypotheses are proposed to explain the observed discrepancies. A comparison of the dating results demonstrates a number of advantages of dendrochronological dating.

Календарная датировка древесины из исторических объектов невозможна без наличия длительных древеснокольцевых хронологий (ДКХ). До недавнего времени вопрос об их построении для Новосибирской обл. оставался нерешенным. Необходимо было дать ответ на ряд вопросов методического характера, например связанных с оценкой пространственной однородности дендрохронологического сигнала в области, попыткой усиления комплексного климатического сигнала, который содержится в приросте деревьев (путем применения современных подходов при пробоподготовке и измерении линейных параметров годичного кольца археологической древесины) и т.п. Для решения поставленной задачи в 2016-2023 гг. были отобраны керны древесины с 12 пробных участков в лесных массивах, где лесообразующей породой является сосна обыкновенная (Pinus sylvestris L.), и привлечен материал с семи исторических построек Новосибирской обл. Применение современного цифрового подхода позволило построить сеть ДКХ, анализ которых показал, что сигнал, содержащийся в годичных кольцах деревьев, на территории области однороден, т.е. построенные региональная и обобщенные хронологии дают возможность проводить календарную датировку древесины с памятников XVIII-XIX вв. на этой территории. Итогом работы стало построение длительной генерализованной ДКХ Nov путем объединения образцов с произрастающих деревьев и исторических построек (продолжительностью 375 лет, при этом для последних 318 лет EPS > 0,85). Анализ полученных результатов показал, что в методическом плане при проведении перекрестного датирования в Новосибирской обл. следует использовать остаточные (res) хронологии.

The relevance of the work is due to the importance of assessing the sustainability and productivity of forest stands at the upper forest line, taking into account current climate changes. Such assessments allow for a more accurate determination of the resource potential of forest ecosystems, on the one hand, and the carbon sequestration potential for consideration in climate policy, on the other. The aim of this research has been to establish the dynamics of the linear parameters of the annual ring of Dahurian larch in the conditions of the upper forest line of the Udokan Range (the Stanovoy Highlands). To study the parameters of the annual ring (annual ring width in the early and late wood), core samples have been taken from 41 Dahurian larch trees growing in 3 sites in larch sparse forests at altitudes of about 1500 m. An analysis of meteorological characteristics carried out for the period since 1938 till 2021 based on data from the Chara weather station closest to the sampling site has revealed an increase in air temperature in all seasons of the year, the duration of the frost-free period and the number of periods with temperatures above 0, 5, 10 and 15 °C, and the sum of temperatures greater than 5, 8, 10 and 15 °С in the study area. As a result of the work carried out, for the first time for the upper forest line of the Stanovoy Highlands, a generalized Char tree-ring chronology has been constructed based on the parameters of annual rings lasting for 513 years, the statistical indicators of which indicate that the dynamics of increment is characterized by sensitivity to external environmental factors. Dendroclimatic analysis, based on the calculation of the Pearson correlation coefficients between the increment indices of the considered parameters of annual rings and climatic factors for 1938–2019, has revealed that the growth of larch in the territory of the Stanovoy Highlands is mainly limited by the temperature regime of the surface air. The highest correlation coefficient values have been 0.49–0.50 (with the average June air temperature); 0.41–0.49 (with the average temperature for June–July, June–August, and June–September); 0.52–0.53 (with the maximum temperature in June); 0.45–0.52 (with the maximum temperature for June–July, June–August and June–September). Significant (at p < 0.001) correlations have also been found between the sums of air temperatures above 5, 8, 10 and 15 °С and the growth indices, the largest for sums above 15 °С and annual ring parameters (0.43–0.45).

This study examines the use of charcoal for dating iron-smelting furnaces in the southeastern Altai. Problems with using radiocarbon analysis in this case are connected with the accuracy of assessing the calendar age. Another important reason why the age of furnaces is overestimated is the “old wood” effect. This effect cannot be avoided by making radiocarbon dating of thin tree trunks (branches) from slag or by using the youngest radiocarbon dates of samples from a single archaeological context. In the case of dendrochronological analysis, considering the age trend in individual series is also not a reliable criterion for determining closeness to the bark due to the long lifespan of trees in the southeastern Altai. Currently, the only way to avoid the “old wood” effect is to date samples with preserved bark, which are quite rare. Results of dendrochronological analysis demonstrate that conclusions drawn from the earliest dates for the same furnace are unreliable. Long tree-ring chronologies based on archaeological charcoal are more prospective for dating ferrous metallurgy sites in the region. The use of dendrochronological analysis minimizes the difficulties with interpreting radiocarbon dates.

В статье рассматриваются особенности использования древесного угля в качестве материала для датирования железоплавильных горнов на Юго-Восточном Алтае. Применение для этих целей радиоуглеродного анализа сопряжено с рядом трудностей, связанных прежде всего с точностью определения календарного возраста. Другой фундаментальной причиной ошибочного удревнения времени функционирования сыродутных горнов на Юго-Восточном Алтае является эффект «старого дерева». Показано, что его влияния невозможно избежать, проводя радиоуглеродное датирование фрагментов тонких стволов (веток), извлеченных из шлака, или рассматривая наиболее «молодые» из серии радиоуглеродных дат образцов с единым археологическим контекстом. В случае дендрохронологического анализа учет возрастного тренда в индивидуальных сериях годичных колец также не является надежным критерием определения близкого расположения подкоровых колец ввиду большого времени дожития деревьев в районе исследования. В настоящее время единственным способом избежать влияния эффекта «старого дерева» является датирование фрагментов древесины с сохранившейся корой, которые относятся к разряду уникальных находок. Результаты дендрохронологического анализа демонстрируют уязвимость выводов, сделанных на основании наиболее «древних» из серии радиоуглеродных дат, полученных для одной печи. Длительные древесно-кольцевые хронологии по археологическим углям являются более эффективным инструментом датирования памятников черной металлургии на Юго-Восточном Алтае. Использование дендрохронологического анализа позволяет избежать или свести к минимуму многие сложности интерпретации радиоуглеродных дат.

In dendroclimatic studies, there is a need for high-quality data series reflecting the state of the environment in the past. The construction of long-term tree ring width (TRW) chronologies (in terms of the combined qualities of being one of the best sources of paleoclimatic information) is associated with the problem of finding a source of paleowood, which will allow it to extend further into the past. This paper considers the prospect of extending the existing 2367-year TRW chronology (on Siberian larch) due to the attraction of the wood of Siberian pine, which is widely presented in collections collected on the premises of the Altai glaciers. The results of a consideration of various parameters of annual rings clearly and convincingly demonstrated that, at the upper edge of the forest, the use of a parameter such as the delta of optical density of the annual ring will allow one to reliably cross-date samples of different tree species and extend this TRW chronology to the past.

Based on data from 7 meteorological stations, the main parameters (surface air temperature, precipitation, aridity and humidification indices) characterizing climate trends for 1950–2021 were considered on the territory of the Selenga midlands (The Republic of Buryatia), and their influence on river flow and radial growth of Scots pine. A significant increase in surface air temperature is shown, occurring with a high degree of consistency at different weather stations. The average value of the linear trend for the territory for the general period was 2.1°C. The most intense increase in temperature and increase in the frequency of above-zero anomalies has been observed in the last 11 years (2011–2021). In the precipitation regime during the study period, two complete moistening cycles were identified (1961–1981 and 1982–2018) lasting 21 and 37 years. Currently, there is a humid phase, which began in 2019. An increase in temperature leads to increased aridity of the region, which is especially noticeable during the arid phases. The cyclicity characteristic of the precipitation regime is also manifested in long-term changes in river flow. The river’s water flows are most dependent on precipitation. Selenga. However, the synchronicity of their changes is not observed throughout the entire time series. In the precipitation regime, the phase of reduced moisture at the beginning of the 21st century is not as clearly expressed as in the runoff regime. The same differences were revealed in the flow regime of different rivers, which is due to the location of their catchment areas. The watersheds of only two rivers — Dzhida and Orongoy — are located entirely in the Selenga midlands. Most of the catchments of the Selenga and Chikoy rivers are located outside the study area. This circumstance determines to a large extent the good consistency of long-term changes in the water flows of these rivers and the differences from the river flow regime. Orongoya and especially r. Jids. The dynamics of the width of the annual rings of Scots pine trees growing in the Selenga midlands reflects changes in its hydrothermal regime during the current and previous growing seasons. The influence of atmospheric precipitation is pronounced, so the amount of precipitation for May–June explains about 40% of the increase for the residual (without autocorrelation component) tree-ring chronology.

Radial tree growth at high-elevation and high-latitude sites is predominantly controlled by changes in summer temperature. This relationship is, however, expected to weaken under projected global warming, which questions the reliability of tree-ring chronologies for climate reconstructions. Here, we examined the growth–climate response patterns of five tree-ring width (TRW) and maximum latewood density (MXD) chronologies of larch (Larix sibirica) from upper-treeline ecotones in the Altai Mountains, which is a key region for developing millennial-long dendroclimatic records in inner Eurasia. The TRW and MXD chronologies exhibited significant year-to-year coherency within and between the two parameters (p < 0.001). While TRW is mostly influenced by temperature changes during the first half of the growing season from June to July (r = 0.66), MXD is most strongly correlated with May–August temperatures (r = 0.73). All seasonal temperature signals are statistically significant at the 99% confidence level, temporally stable back to 1940 CE, the period with reliable instrumental measurements, and spatially representative for a vast area of inner Eurasia between northeastern Kazakhstan in the west, northern Mongolia in the east, southern Russia in the north and northwestern China in the south. Our findings demonstrate the paleoclimatic potential of TRW and especially MXD chronologies and reject any sign of the ´divergence problem´ at these high-elevation, mid-latitude larch sites.