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Developing tree ring chronologies from New Zealand matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia (D.Don) Laub.) for archaeological dating: Stable isotope dendrochronology
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Gretel Boswijk,
Giles Young,
Alan G. Hogg,
Danny McCarroll
Dendrochronologia, Volume: 76, Start page: 126030
Swansea University Authors:
Neil Loader , Giles Young, Danny McCarroll
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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.dendro.2022.126030
Abstract
Aotearoa New Zealand has a rich cultural heritage but dating wooden objects using classic dendrochronology is challenging due to a paucity of master tree-ring width chronologies for species commonly identified in the archaeological record. This paper explores the potential for using a stable isotopi...
| Published in: | Dendrochronologia |
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| ISSN: | 1125-7865 |
| Published: |
Elsevier BV
2022
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61810 |
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| Abstract: |
Aotearoa New Zealand has a rich cultural heritage but dating wooden objects using classic dendrochronology is challenging due to a paucity of master tree-ring width chronologies for species commonly identified in the archaeological record. This paper explores the potential for using a stable isotopic approach to dendrochronology for matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia). A total of six annual stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) series for matai growing in the Pureora Forest Reserve, were analysed and their oxygen isotopes found to exhibit a level of coherence that enabled cross-dating. A provisional chronology covering the period 1930-2018 CE was developed and tested against a sample of matai from the Kauaeranga Valley (200 km to the north of Pureora) and a sample of miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea). Miro is another species common in the cultural archive, but also difficult to date using ring-width dendrochronology. Both samples cross matched at the correct position, but with weaker dating statistics (e.g. Student’s t: 4.26 and 4.11 respectively compared to 6.80 and 5.66 for the non-2018 sampled Pureora matai. These results nevertheless demonstrate the presence of a regional-scale signal which may be developed for future use as a precision dating tool. |
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| Keywords: |
Matai; Miro; Aotearoa; Oxygen isotope; Prumnopitys ferruginea |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
This work was supported by the Royal Society of New Zealand Catalyst Seeding award (UOA 3714761). |
| Start Page: |
126030 |