DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL DATING OF THE GROUNDSILL FOR THE BELL TOWER OF THE SPASSKAYA CHURCH IN IRKUTSK

During archaeological research in September 2007, a groundsill of well-preserved larch logs was discovered under the foundation of the bell tower of the Spasskaya Church, the first stone building in Irkutsk. One of the logs had an outer cambium ring, which made it possible to determine the year of the felling. On the basis of 12 larches of old age from the vicinity of Irkutsk, referent tree-ring chronology was established covering 514 years (1493–2007). It was found that the trees for the groundsill were harvested between autumn 1752 and the summer of 1753. The resulting tree-ring chronology of larch covering several centuries, can be used for dating other historical wooden objects in Irkutsk.