Dendrochronology

trees · history · climate science · detective work

Rings tell the year. Every year, a tree grows a new ring of wood, just like adding a page to a book. By counting these rings, scientists can figure out the exact year a tree grew and even what the weather was like that year.

Ancient detective tool. Dendrochronology comes from Greek words meaning tree, time, and the study of. Scientists use this superpower to figure out how old old wood is, from ancient buildings to archaeological discoveries that might be thousands of years old.

Weather written in wood. Thick rings mean a tree had plenty of sun and rain that year, while thin rings mean it was dry or cold. This helps scientists understand what Earth's climate was like long, long ago.

Solves mysteries. When archaeologists find old wooden artifacts or buildings, dendrochronology helps them know exactly what year the wood came from. It's like having a secret calendar hidden inside the tree.