Bryant Bannister

Tree‐ring dating in archaeology

Abstract In recent years the applications of tree‐ring dating have greatly expanded in geographic coverage and in scope. The rapid growth of European dendrochronological efforts has resulted in the establishment of absolute tree‐ring chronologies and the dating of historical and archaeological structures across northern Europe from Ireland to western Russia. Development of long floating tree‐ring chronologies in Europe and the Near East give promise of significant future advances. In North America, particularly in the American Southwest, tree‐ring controls have also been extended in time and space and special attention has been focused on the development of new concepts and techniques for archaeological interpretation. Broader applications of dendrochronological data include reconstruction of palaeoclimatic conditions and recalibration of the radiocarbon time‐scale.

Reflections On the Foundation, Persistence, and Growth of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Circa 1930–1960

Abstract On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, it is appropriate to reflect on the origin of the LTRR and the oft overlooked early period of its history. The period from the “Bridging the gap” event in 1929 to the semi-retirement of A.E. Douglass in 1958 was a crucial time in the development of the LTRR. Although this paper focuses on the history of the LTRR between those events, at points the history of the LTRR is, essentially, the history of the field, making a holistic understanding all the more important. The information presented here is rooted in a series of transcribed historical lectures delivered in 1992 and 1993 by Director/Professor Emeritus Bryant Bannister, and several historical reports composed by him between 1963 and 1998.