First multispecies tree-ring chronologies from the 6th millennium BCE in Southeastern Europe

In recent years, archaeological studies of pile dwellings in the southwestern Balkans have yielded a substantial amount of wood suitable for dendroarchaeological research, offering new opportunities for precise dating of prehistoric settlements and a deeper understanding of their development. Several multi-centennial tree-ring chronologies have been established within the European Research Council (ERC) funded ‘Exploring the dynamics and causes of prehistoric land use change in the cradle of European farming’ (EXPLO) project, spanning from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age, c. 6000–600 BCE in absolute dates, using oak ( Quercus sp.), juniper ( Juniperus sp.), and pine ( Pinus sp.) timber collected from various structural settlement remains. Using wooden samples from the site of Lin 3, Lake Ohrid, Albania, we have developed new tree-ring chronologies covering the first half and the end of the 6th millennium BCE. Notably, a single juniper tree-ring series extends back to the mid-7th millennium BCE. This Lin 3 juniper chronology was cross-dated to a juniper chronology from the site of Ohridati-Penelopa, located on the north-east side of Lake Ohrid. Thus, the LIN3-06-Penelopa combined tree-ring chronology represents the earliest-known continuous tree-ring chronology in the Balkans, spanning 6429 to 5466 cal BCE (±3 years, 95.4%) and covering 964 years. Together with other juniper, oak, and pine chronologies from nearby Neolithic waterlogged sites, nearly the entire 6th millennium BCE is now covered. The outer rings of the earliest oak piles with waney edge from Lin 3 date back to 5862–5748 cal BCE (95.4%), revealing the site as the earliest known Neolithic pile-dwelling of Europe. Radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating of the LIN3-06-Penelopa chronology indicates a potential overlap of 20–30 years with the absolutely dated juniper chronology from Dispilio, Greece. However, the short intersection does not yet allow for their dendrochronological cross-dating. This article presents these newly constructed chronologies and explores the potential for developing an absolutely dated, multi-millennial tree-ring chronology of the Neolithic period in the southwestern Balkans through a combination of dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating.