Since the establishment of a complete tree-ring lab in Bhutan officials in the Ministry of Agriculture have expressed interest in expanding the use of their new lab and expertise to other areas of national interest. Hydrology, forestry, seismology, and archae
Since the establishment of a complete tree-ring lab in Bhutan officials in the Ministry of Agriculture have expressed interest in expanding the use of their new lab and expertise to other areas of national interest. Hydrology, forestry, seismology, and archaeology are a few of the many disciplines within which dendrochronology has valuable application. Dendrochronology also requires little material overhead. In a developing country, 70% forested, the widespread potential use of tree-ring data is tremendous and economical. In combination with our primary goal, reconstructing the climate over Bhutan, we are also supporting the reconstruction of “Ancient Bhutan”, its climate and culture from tree-ring evidence.
Much of the historical information from Bhutan was lost in a series of large earthquakes and fires that ravaged the country since 1897. Ancient documents, archived in the many temples and monasteries across the country, that once provided a link between the current culture and its’ past, were lost within the last century. In those archives that remain, large gaps and vague dates punctuate the historical accounts of from where and when the present culture came.
We have initiated a dendro-archaeological project in Bhutan that would emphasize the dating of Monasteries, Dzongs (fortresses) and Temples across the country to reconstruct the cultural development of Bhutan. This project would involve Bhutanese students and scientists from a number of disciplines. All work on this subject would be conducted completely in Bhutan. To o