Dispilio, Greece – A Landmark in Archaeological Dating
An ancient Neolithic settlement in modern-day Greece has been meticulously dated to the exact years of its existence, thanks to a groundbreaking combination of tree ring analysis and an innovative method derived from cosmic events. This breakthrough provides a crucial reference point for the region and unveils the precise timeline of human habitation at the site.
The Importance of Accurate Dating
Neolithic settlements, dating back to around 10,000 BCE, represent the earliest known permanent human settlements. Accurately dating these sites is essential for understanding the development of human societies, the spread of agriculture, and the emergence of complex social structures.
Traditional dating methods, such as radiocarbon dating, can only provide approximate age ranges, typically within decades or centuries. This imprecision can hinder our ability to establish a clear timeline of events and to understand the relationships between different Neolithic settlements.
The Dispilio Settlement
Located on Lake Orestida in northern Greece, Dispilio is one of the most important Neolithic settlements in southeastern Europe. Excavations have revealed numerous wooden structures, including houses, workshops, and storage facilities. The site has yielded a wealth of artefacts, including pottery, tools, and animal remains.
The Dating Breakthrough
Researchers from the University of Bern employed dendrochronology, the study of tree growth rings, to establish a regional tree ring chronology. However, to attain year-by-year accuracy, they incorporated an out-of-this-world technique: cosmic rays.
Cosmic rays, known for their potential impact on telecommunications, leave unique markers in tree rings during major solar flare events. By harnessing this phenomenon, scientists have identified numerous cosmic-ray markers, including one from 5259 BCE.
Using the cosmic-ray marker from 5259 BCE, researchers meticulously analyzed 787 pieces of timber recovered from Dispilio. This exhaustive analysis yielded a robust 303-year growth ring chronology for the region. Subsequent analysis revealed that the settlement was occupied, and dwelling construction occurred over a span of 188 years, specifically between 5328 and 5140 BCE.
Significance
This innovative approach marks a significant step forward in archaeological dating, as it allows for the absolute dating of sites without relying on a pre-existing calendar chronology. The Balkans region has become the first to benefit from this paradigm shift, enabling researchers to establish a precise timeline for its ancient past.
The accurate dating of Dispilio provides a crucial reference point for other archaeological sites in southeastern Europe, helping to unravel the interconnectedness and development of Neolithic societies. It also opens up new possibilities for understanding the spread of ideas, technologies, and cultural practices during this formative period of human history.
Paradigm shift thanks to Japanese physicist
In 2012, a solution to this problem emerged: Japanese physicist Fusa Miyake discovered that a massive flux of cosmic rays, probably from solar flares, could cause an increase in the 14C content of the atmosphere, which accumulates in tree rings from the relevant years. These spikes can be accurately dated based on long tree-ring chronologies, and because they are global events, they are important anchors, especially in regions where annual growth-ring chronologies are not consistent.
According to Hafner, Miyake established the first such baselines and thus led to a paradigm shift in prehistoric archaeology. Today, about a dozen of these Miyake events are known, dating back to 12,350 BC. Two significant events from 5,259 BC and 7,176 BC were only discovered in 2022 by researchers at ETH Zurich.
An event of similar magnitude has not been recorded in the past few centuries. If an event of this magnitude were to occur today, as in 5259 BC, it would likely have devastating effects on telecommunications and electronics.
The Miyake incident makes dating possible in Dubyak
By analyzing 787 pieces of timber from the Dubyak archaeological site at Lake Orestiada in northern Greece, the research team of the EXPLO project led by the University of Bern established an annual growth ring chronology spanning 303 years, ending in 5140 BC. The identified settlement phases show various housing construction activities over a period of 188 years between 5328 and 5140 BC. This precise dating is possible because a Miyake event is known to have occurred during this period in 5259 BC.
By radiocarbon dating several individually identified annual growth rings, researchers at ETH Zurich were able to detect an increase in radiocarbon content during this time. This increase, which is reflected globally in the annual growth ring chronologies of Siberian larch, American pine and European oak, can therefore be reconstructed in the annual growth ring chronology from Dubyak in Greece and linked to the junction point of 5259 BC.
Hafner says the Balkans are, therefore, the first region in the world where this paradigm shift has been exploited and absolute dating has been successfully determined independently of a consistent calendar.
Maczkowski states that they hope that other chronologies for this period in the region can now be quickly linked to the “Dubyak Chronology” and that this paves the way for developing regional dendrochronology for the southern Balkans.
The Balkans have some of Europe’s oldest lakeside settlements, dating to just after 6000 BC. The region played a key role in the spread of agriculture in Europe.
The Enchanting Gem of Northern Greece: Exploring Kastoria’s Lakeside Beauty