THE EGYPT EXPEDITION: DENDROCHRONOLOGY
Increment borers are used in dendrochronology and archaeological research.
On increment borers, Christer Karlsson at Siljansfors försökspark, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden, has the following to tell: ”Increment borers are used in forestry to determine age and increment in living trees. Lately, one area of operation has become more dominant. It is called dendrochronology. In dendrochronology, increment borers are used to extract wood cores from trees, but also from timber buildings and other wood constructions, to determine the age….
Egypt, Eastern Desert, January 2015.
Coring Acacia tortillis. Photograph courtesy Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona.
Photograph by P.P. Creasman. In photograph: W.E. Wright.
Equipment: Haglöf 16″ Two-Thread, 5.15mm.Source: Purchased via Ben Meadows (USA)Research supported by US National Science Foundation grant number 1427574
Width, density and contents of different elements are examples of what you can measure in each annual ring, and the results are compared to a series of reference numbers. This way, exact dating can be made also for wooden pieces such as timber houses. With dendrochronology, it is possible to determine the exact year a tree has been cut, has died or has been affected by events in its close environment. One of the most important tools in the science of dendrochronology is the increment borer – an instrument originating from the village of Kråkberg, Dalecarlia.” (http://www.slu.se/en/departments/field-based-forest-research/experimental-forests/siljansfors-and-jadraas-experimental-forests/ )
Eastern Desert, Egypt, January 2015. Coring Acacia tortillis.
Photograph courtesy Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona.
Photograph by P.P. Creasman. In photograph: C.H. Baisan.Equipment: Haglöf 16″ Two-Thread, 5.15mm.
Source: Purchased via Ben Meadows (USA)
Research supported by US National Science Foundation grant number 1427574
At Haglöf Sweden, we are extremely proud of our many contacts with learning institutions in different forestry-related sciences, with universities and individual scientists all over the world. We have for many years had a fruitful cooperation with the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the College of Science, University of Arizona, USA.
Fayoum, Egypt, January 2015. Coring Ficus sycomorus growing over irrigation trench.
Photograph courtesy Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona. Photograph by P.P. Creasman. In photograph: C.H. Baisan.
Equipment: Haglöf 16″ Two-Thread, 5.15mm.
Source: Purchased via Ben Meadows (USA)
Research supported by US National Science Foundation grant number 1427574
One of the prominent scientists at the Tree Ring Lab, Ph.D Pearce Paul Creasman, is the Director of an archaeological research project in Luxor, Egypt, located just outside the Valley of the Kings. Many hundreds of wood samples from different species were extracted and examined during the latest part of the expedition in January and February 2015. Different Haglof Sweden increment borers were used in the process.
Wadi el Gemal, Marsa Alam, Egypt. January 2015. Coring Tamarix aphylla in a wadi.
Photograph courtesy Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona. Photograph by P.P. Creasman. In photograph: W.E. Wright lire.
Equipment: Haglöf 12″, 12mm.
Source: Donated by Haglöf Sweden AB (courtesy Ingvar Haglöf, & Gabriella Haglöf)
Research supported by US National Science Foundation grant number 1427574
According to Dr Creasman, the procedures of drilling the native trees and getting samples from the very hard, desert species, such as Acacia and Tamarisk, were complicated and have for a long time been considered to be impossible.
Haj Ganjean Village, Egypt, January 2015. Coring Ziziphus spina-christi on a farm.
Photograph courtesy Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona. Photograph by P.P. Creasman. In photograph: C.H. Baisan (lt) and W.E. Wright (rt), and local residents.
Equipment: Haglöf 16″ Two-Thread, 5.15mm.
Source: Purchased via Ben Meadows (USA)
Research supported by US National Science Foundation grant number 1427574
We are glad to report that Dr Creasman and his expedition did not run into equipment failure in Luxor! The expedition succeeded in taking the most comprehensive set of specimens ever collected from this part of Egypt. Dr Creasman and his expedition continue their important research.
Fayoum, Egypt, February 2015. Coring Ziziphus spina-christi growing near the shrine of a local sheik.
Photograph courtesy Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona. Photograph by P.P. Creasman. In photograph: C.H. Baisan.
Equipment: Haglöf 16″ Two-Thread, 5.15mm.
Source: Purchased via Ben Meadows (USA)
Research supported by US National Science Foundation grant number 1427574
We are grateful for the opportunity to follow their work and to take part in the results from the research. We are also very thankful for receiving many beautiful pictures from the Egypt Expedition, and that we hereby publish with the permission from Dr Creasman, with reference to NSF grant #1427574 and the University of Arizona.
(Pearce Paul Creasman, Ph.D., Curator, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Director, Egyptian Expedition; The University of Arizona; Tucson, Arizona, USA. http://ltrr.arizona.edu/)