TREE-RING RESEARCH, Vol. 74(1), 2018, pp. 50–62 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3959/1536-1098-74.1.50 THE FIRST DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL DATING OF TIMBER FROM TAJIKISTAN – POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING A MILLENNIAL TREE-RING RECORD MAGDALENA OPAŁA-OWCZAREK1*, PIOTR OWCZAREK2, OIMAHMAD RAHMONOV3, and TADEUSZ NIEDZWIED´ Z´ 1 1Department of Climatology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Bedzi˛ nska´ 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland 2Department of Physical Geography, Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wroclaw, Uniwersytecki Sq.1, 50–137 Wrocław, Poland 3Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Bedzi˛ nska´ 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland ABSTRACT We are reporting the first dendrochronological dating of timber from Tajikistan. Thirty samples were collected from two old buildings from a village located in the western Pamir-Alay; eight cores were taken from temple. Most of the construction wood was juniper species. The object chronologies cross- dated well with the previously published chronology based on living juniper trees from western Pamir- Alay. The results of dating revealed that investigated structures are composed of wood coming from sev- eral periods. The oldest pieces of wood dated back to the 11th and 12th Centuries. Most timber samples come from the turn of the 17th and 18th Centuries, which were probably the period of intense devel- opment of the Artuch village. Besides dating of the wood samples from these historic structures, our investigation provides the opportunity to extend the currently existing regional tree-ring chronology for future climate reconstruction of the Pamir-Alay and High Asia. Dated sequences were assembled into a 1012-year chronology spanning the period 945–2014 C.E. and strengthened the replication of its earliest part (with critical 0.85 EPS value since the beginning of the 13th Century). Keywords: Central Asia, Pamir-Alay Mountains, Tajikistan, historical buildings, dendroarchaeol- ogy, tree-ring dating, timber, Juniperus. INTRODUCTION of material culture is related to the location of the region, which was crucial for the functioning of the The Pamir-Alay mountain region played an “Silk Route” along which merchandise and ideas essential role in the development of ancient civi- flowed between China, India, Iran and Europe. The lizations in Central Asia. This former territory of Pamir-Alay Mountains are surrounded and crossed Sogdiana, the ancient Indo-European civilization by main branches of this ancient network of trade of Iranian people, was under the influence of dif- routes. Many settlements were established along ferent cultures during last 3000 years, including the this route or their importance increased, especially Achaemenid Empire of Persia, Hellenistic Greco- during the Han (207 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) and Tang dy- Bactrian Kingdom, Imperial China, Arab Muslim, nasty (618–907 C.E.) when the trade of Chinese silk Mongol Empire (Hormatta et al. 1994; Litvinsky et was the most lucrative (Hulsewé et al. 1979; Hor- al. 1996; Ghafurov 2011). This region, currently lo- matta et al. 1994; Litvinsky et al. 1996). The great cated within the political boundaries of Uzbekistan Sogdian cities, such as Samarkand (Maracanda), and Tajikistan, is rich in archaeological sites and Panjikent (Panchekanth) and Bukhara, were devel- settlement remains of different age. This diversity oped during these times in large agricultural oases located west of the Pamir-Alay Mountains in the *Corresponding author: [email protected] Zarafshan River valley (Schafer 1963; Belenitskiy Copyright C 2018 by The Tree-Ring Society 50 Historical Wood and Chronologies from Tajikistan 51 et al. 1973; Dumper and Stanley 2006; Ghafurov courtyard and richly decorated wooden entrance 2011; Owczarek et al. 2017b). The branch of the gates, were built already in the 5th Century (Mar- Silk Route, which ran along this valley, merged the shak 2003). This architectural continuity is very im- western Pamir-Alay region with the oases of Tarim portant in terms of analyzing the socio-economic, Basin. historical and political processes taking place in this The development of trade affected the ex- area. Nowadays, some of the buildings are rebuilt pansion of settlements in narrow mountain val- or simply destroyed, and a new style of construc- leys in the middle and upper parts of the Zaraf- tion is introduced. Dendrochronological analyses shan River basin. The archives discovered at the are therefore an opportunity to preserve informa- castle on Mount Mug (Mog)¯ in the upper course tion about the origin and the history of unknown of Zarafshan River provided detailed information rural buildings in northwestern Tajikistan, the num- about first millennium history of the Common Era ber of which is constantly decreasing. of this part of Sogdiana territory (Freiman et al. The potential of dendrochronological anal- 1962–1963; Bogolyubov and Smirnova 1963). ysis of wooden structures from Zarafshan Val- The Arab conquest in the 8th Century and ley remained unexplored for a long time. Re- invasion of Central Asia by hordes of Chengez cent advances in the development of long tree- Khan in the second decade of the 13th Century ring chronologies for this region (covering the time devastated the region (Ghafurov 2011). Legal doc- span 1005–2014 C.E.) allow for dating the histor- uments and letters concerning rural settlements, ical structures (Opała et al. 2017). This regional people and socio-economic relations of the Pamir- chronology was constructed from junipers (Junipe- Alay Mountains are rare and require additional re- rus semiglobosa and Juniperus seravschanica)grow- search methods. One of these is dendrochronology. ing in the high-elevation sites in the western Pamir- Tree-ring analysis has proven to be a powerful dat- Alay. The aim of this study was to perform den- ing method since the early works of A. E. Dou- drochronological dating, report on the history of glass, who dated ancient pueblos in southwestern the two buildings and a temple complex (sacred US (Douglass 1921). In subsequent decades there groves and temple) located in Pamir-Alay, north- have been many successful attempts of tree-ring re- western Tajikistan and to extend the previously search in dating of wooden construction elements published regional tree-ring chronology for this of archaeological and historical monuments (Cu- region. far 2007). Dendrochronological research in Central Asia primarily concerned monasteries, temples and tombs. The number of dendroarchaeological stud- MATERIALS AND METHODS ies carried out in High Asia is still rather scarce (e.g. Study Area Zamotorin 1963; Marsadolov 1994; Schmidt et al. 1999; Vasiliev et al. 2001; Panyushkina et al. 2007, The study area includes the Artuch village 2010; Baatarbileg et al. 2008; Bräuning et al. 2013; locatedinnarrowUrechRivervalleyintheup- Scharf et al. 2013; Wang and Zhao 2013). per part of the Zarafshan River basin (Sughd The Pamir-Alay region located on the bor- province, northwestern Tajikistan; Figure 1A, 1B). der of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan is The Artuch village, elevation ca. 2000 m a.s.l., is rich with archaeological sites and cultural remains. surrounded by the high mountain massifs of the However, because of scarcity of written documents, Zarafshan Range (Chimtarga Peak, 5489 m a.s.l.) the history of the mountain settlements is not well that belongs to extensive Pamir-Alay mountain sys- known. Rural buildings in this part of Central Asia tem. The study area has typical high-mountain are characterized by a typical construction style relief characterized by steep slopes with numer- that has not been changed for hundreds of years. ous traces of mass movement processes partly This is confirmed by archaeological excavations in connected with seismic activity (Owczarek et al. ancient Panjikant, in northwestern Tajikistan (Be- 2017a). The barren surface, which lacks continuous lenitskiy et al. 1981). Typical for mountain vil- vegetation cover, dominates the landscape (Rah- lages, one- or two-storey houses, often with an inner monov et al. 2016; Figure 2A). The open woodland 52 OPAŁA-OWCZAREK, OWCZAREK, RAHMONOV, and NIEDZWIED´ Z´ Figure 1. (A) Location of the study area on the background of the major geographical regions of the Central Asia. (B) Detailed location of the investigated Artuch village. (C) Sampled sites. composed of juniper trees survives only in the high sampled within cottage #2. In addition, we investi- elevation (ca. 2800–3000 m) (Sadikov 2012). This gated the remains of the temple located at a high- part of the Pamir-Alay, surrounded by the Kyzyl- elevation site (3000 m a.s.l.) at a distance of 2.5 km Kum desert plains, has a typical arid continen- from the village (Figure 1C). Eight samples were tal climate. The mean annual total precipitation is taken from the posts and roof construction of the 271 mm with mean annual air temperature 6.6◦C temple. (Iskanderkul Meteorological Station). The Artuch We also performed tree-ring analysis of the sa- village was established on the alluvial fan formed cred groves located in the vicinity of the village. by right tributary of the Urech River (Figures 1C, These individual, very impressive sacred specimen 2A). The fan is inclined towards the west. The main trees, as well as their clusters, used to be an object square with mosque is located in its central part. of worship and protection. Sacred natural sites have The village has traditional low buildings built of been defined as areas with special significance to bricks, clay and wood (Figure 2B–D). people and communities, and thus these sites have been managed as protected areas, which can be one of the oldest conservation systems. Such sacred sites Samples Processing and Dendrochronological serve for managing natural resources and conserv- Dating of Timber ing ecosystems through religious rules (Oviedo and The historical tree-ring samples came from five Jeanrenaud 2007; Dudley et al. 2009). Therefore locations in the Zarafshan Range, western Pamir- their age may provide additional information about Alay (Figure 1C).