Reading the Rings: How Trees Reveal the Past

A talk by Dr Darren Davies on dendrochronology, exploring how tree rings date artefacts and reveal past climates, with Q&A and timber handling.

Dr Darren Davies, a Physical Geographer from Swansea University, introduces dendrochronology — the science of analysing tree rings — and how chemical analysis of rings is transforming the field, from dating 'undatable' samples to understanding past climates. The session lasts about an hour, with roughly 30 minutes of talk followed by 30 minutes of questions and a handling session of timbers dated across the last 5,000 years, including museum samples used in ongoing research. Suitable for ages 11 and over; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.