Basic Principles and Methods of Dendrochronological Specimen Curation

Long-Term Preservation of Dendroarchaeological Specimens andIn SituPreservation: Problems and Practical Solutions

“…While anecdotes of the loss or destruction of valuable dendrochronological material are prevalent, few potent accounts can be confi rmed (see Creasman, 2011). It seems the primary curation problems have been the result of a shortage of storage capacity, limited personnel resources, inadequate preservation technology, or lack of vision regarding potential future uses (see Baillie, 2002;Dean, 2006).…”

“…The nature of dendrochronology, especially for chronology-building, often calls for the collection of a large volume or quantity of specimens and their long-term curation (Figure 4; Stokes and Smiley, 1968;Baillie, 1982;Creasman, 2011). 1 Because absolute dating is the 'backbone of all [archaeological] tree-ring research' (Kuniholm, 2001: 38) and an 'ample supply' of wood is one of Bannister's prerequisites for successful dendrochronology (1963: 164), it is not a coincidence that many large and diverse collections have been built during the past century (e.g.…”

“…Creasman, 2010b), collections are continually growing, thus compounding the challenges. For example, it is likely that thousands of unique wet palaeoecological and archaeological specimens spanning from 8000 bc to present have been amassed in the past few decades and are sitting on shelves throughout Europe without proper attention being paid to the specifi c conservation needs of waterlogged wood or their future utility (see Creasman, 2011).…”

Revisiting a Small Part of the Early Work of Lamarche and Collaborators in South America

“…2,000,000 wood research specimens (http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/collection/), which makes this collection the most unique and diverse in the world. Because the LTRR maintains an archive of dendrochronological samples, all of the materials of LaMarche and collaborators are in an excellent state of conservation, supporting their use in the future (Creasman 2011). This preservation of the collection made it possible to inspect and analyze the Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirb.)…”

Tree Rings and the Chronology of Ancient Egypt

“…Long-term preservation and continued access to specimens are crucial to this field because the significance of an individual specimen may become evident only years or even decades after its collection, when sufficient other specimens have been obtained for comparison to it, thus allowing potential completion of the "puzzle." Specimens must remain available for new observations, as vouchers for past research, and for the employment of different types of analyses and technologies (Creasman 2011). Furthermore, the ongoing loss of tree-ring resources due to environmental and social changes (e.g.…”