The History of the World Written in Tree-Rings - Charlotte Pearson

Humanities Seminars Program Summer 2023
This course will focus on the scientific field of dendrochronology (from dendron=tree and chronos=time), or tree-ring science, and what it can tell us about the past, present and future. We will explore the fascinating history of how the science was developed by a pioneering astronomer interested in solar cycles; how it works; how it has fed into other disciplines such as radiocarbon dating, art history and climatology, and how its applications have led to transformative discoveries about the past. We will look at what tree-rings can tell us about the rise and fall of civilizations, climate change, migration, trade, settlement history and natural hazards. The course will also include a personalized guided tour of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and Tree-Ring Archive.