Dendrochronology and microscopic wood determination

The internal project named Dendrochronological dating and microscopic determination of archaeological wood from archaeological excavations of the company Archaia Brno deepens the cooperation between different scientific disciplines, namely archaeology on one side and branches associated under the term ‘wood science’ on the other side. The project output is represented through identified wood samples, and the dendrochronological dating of archaeological wood. In view of dendrochronology they use the results to create national and local standard chronologies. Determining the wood sorts contributes to the knowledge of development and distribution of wood plants within the time span after the last glacial period. This project fluently follows a long-time cooperation (since 1998) between Archaia Brno o. p. s. and the Department of Wood Science at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology of the Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, a workplace represented today above all by ing. Michal Rybníček. Until today there are more than 200 samples, mainly from Brno and its surroundings, that had been macroscopically and microscopically determined and at the same time dendrochronologically dated. Both sides expect of this project a broader interdisciplinary connection.

Project outputs:

a) dendrochronological dating of wood samples
b) elaboration of new, and specification of current dendrochronological standard chronologies
c) determination of wood sorts up to the level of botanic genera
d) verification and improvement of the above said methodics

The project outcome is represented through partial closing reports from particular excavations, publications in professional and scientific journals, and presentations in conferences and seminars.

Present professional publications:

Dvorská, J. - Merta, D. - Peška, M. 2002: Dendrochronologie v historickém jádru Brna, in: Ve službách archeologie III, Brno, s. 31-39.
Merta, D. - Peška, M. - Zůbek, A. 2003: Dřevěné stavební prvky z velkého špalíčku v Brně, in: Ve službách archeologie IV, Brno, s. 202-207.
Merta, D. - Rybníček, M. - Zůbek, A. 2004: Ke stavebnímu založení kostela Nanebevzetí Panny Marie v Brně - Zábrdovicích, in: Ve službách archeologie V, Brno, s. 146-151.