Dendrochronological and radiocarbon dating of Eastern European oak (1074-1306)
The article discusses the results of dendrochronological and radiocarbon dating of tree rings of oak tomb boards and elements of the coffins of the Vyazma medieval cemetery in Smolensk Region. The study compares the results of dendrochronological, calibrated radiocarbon dating and simulated wiggle-match dating. As a result of this work, the first absolutely dated tree-ring chronology by oak for the archaeological sites of the European Russia was developed with a total span of 233 years (1074-1306). In the geographic network of absolutely dated dendrochronological oak scales developed for Europe, the Vyazma tree-ring chronology is its easternmost point. The purpose of the article is to provide the scientific community with a tree-ring oak chronology that can be used in dendroarchaeological, dendroclimatological and dendroecological studies. The developed chronology demonstrates a stable relationship with the tree-ring chronologies by oak originating from alluvial deposits of the rivers Western Dvina and Vilia near the town of Smargon (North-West Belarus).