Progress Towards a Byzantine-Medieval Historic Buildings Tree-Ring Chronology from Cyprus Using Dendrochronology and Radiocarbon

A groundbreaking approach combining dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating has revealed promising prospects for reconstructing over 700 years of tree-ring chronology from Cyprus, with potential to extend this to nearly 1100 years. This study focuses on the wooden elements preserved in UNESCO-listed Byzantine-Medieval churches, such as those in the Troodos region, which hold significant cultural and artistic value. By analyzing samples from multiple sites, including the Timios Stravros church at Pelendri, researchers have established a floating 264-year chronology for Pinus brutia, with one gap requiring further investigation. This method, involving tree-ring sequenced 14C wiggle-matching, offers more precise dating than traditional stylistic analysis or inscriptions alone, providing a terminus post quem for artifacts like the celebrated liturgical wooden cross, approximately placing it between the 11th and 16th centuries AD.

Manning, S. W., Lorentzen, B., Bakirtzis, N., & Soyluoğlu, M. (2023). PROGRESS TOWARDS A BYZANTINE-MEDIEVAL HISTORIC BUILDINGS TREE-RING CHRONOLOGY FROM CYPRUS USING DENDROCHRONOLOGY AND RADIOCARBON. Radiocarbon, 66(6), 1643–1661. https://doi.org/10.1017/rdc.2023.84