Dendrochronology project - Significant isotope dating result

Dendrochronology project - Museum of Gloucester / Swansea University

Significant isotope dating result

Excitingly, Swansea University’s geography department has revealed the first confirmed isotope dating result from sample GM19. This rather unremarkable looking piece of wood has had its outer ring dated to 998 CE. The risk of this result occurring by chance is over 1 in a million. The dating means that the tree this timber was cut from grew between at least 840 – 998 CE. Wood from this period is rare in the UK so this result is very exciting. The isotope measurements from this timber will be used by the QUERCUS project to help develop dating reference chronologies that cover this period. Due to its rarity, this sample may be of interest to other researchers. Further results from the other samples taken from the Museum will be revealed in due course.

Sample GM19 (19 of 20)

GM19 (black) aligned with the reference chronology (red)