Award Abstract #9905389
The Prehistory of the Eastern Mediterranean: Dendrochonological, Radiocarbon, and Dendrochemical Approaches

NSF Org:	BCS Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
Initial Amendment Date:	June 11, 1999
Latest Amendment Date:	July 17, 2001
Award Number:	9905389
Award Instrument:	Continuing grant
Program Manager:	John E. Yellen BCS Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences SBE Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences
Start Date:	July 1, 1999
Expires:	June 30, 2002 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$386003
Investigator(s):	Peter Kuniholm pik3@cornell.edu (Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Cornell University 373 Pine Tree Road ITHACA, NY 14850 607/255-5014
NSF Program(s):	ARCHAEOMETRY, ARCHAEOLOGY
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1393, 1391

ABSTRACT

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Peter Kuniholm and his collaborators will continue to construct a master dendrochronology for the Eastern Mediterranean and to provide precise dates for sites of archaeological interest. `Dendrochronology`, or tree ring dating, is the most accurate dating technique available to scientists. Because the thickness of wood rings which trees add annually is affected by temperature and rainfall, these vary from year to year and it is possible to start with living trees, plot a thickness curve back from a known starting date and then extend the series further backwards in time with the addition of samples from geological and archaeological contexts. One can take wood of unknown age from archaeological sites and match it against the master curve to determine the absolute age of the rings. Dr. Kuniholm and his colleagues have single-handedly worked for many years to construct such a master chronology for Greece, Turkey and other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. This has resulted in a chronology which covers some 6,500 of the last 9,200 years. The longest part of the chronology is 2,160 years long and absolutely dated from B.C. 2687 to 627. Over the next three years the team will work to fill gaps by visiting and analayzing wood from over 91 sites in the eastern Mediterranean. The group will also also conduct elemental analysis on a large series of decadal and single year samples to determine trace element composition. Dr. Kuniholm's research indicates that changing elements can serve as markers for major climatic events such as volcanic eruptions. Location of these signals could both serve to date past events and to help in tree ring correlation. The project is extremely important because the resulting sequence will permit the absolute dating of large numbers of archaeological occurrences. Because the laboratory involves many undergraduate students it will continue to play an important role is science education.

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.