A two-millennia provenance-assured Chamaecyparis tree-ring chronology for central Japan

We present a continuous 2000-year ring-width chronology of Chamaecyparis from central Japan based on samples of known provenance. The dataset integrates ring-width series from living trees, archaeological coffins, historical temple timbers, and a buried forest, spanning 156 BCE to 2012 CE. Crossdating, conducted using statistical indices (Student’s t -value, Gleichläufigkeit) and visual inspection, yielded high consistency across six partial chronologies. This composite chronology, filling a major gap in Japanese dendrochronology, yielded a robust regional reference for environmental reconstruction and dendroprovenancing. Application to historical structures, including Rinno-ji and Daitoku-ji Temples, demonstrated excellent agreement with documentary records, confirming the chronology’s dating precision. Our findings reaffirm the values of ring-width analysis for determining the origin and age of wooden materials, particularly in contexts where isotopic geographical resolution may be too broad. This chronology also establishes a robust framework for future multiproxy studies that integrate isotopic or geochemical data. By securing both temporal continuity and provenance control, it serves as a critical resource for research in archaeology, forest history, and cultural heritage science in Japan and beyond.