This course will focus on the scientific field of dendrochronology (from dendron=tree and chronos=time), or tree-ring science, and what it can tell us about the past, present and future. We will explore the fascinating history of how the science was developed by a pioneering astronomer interested in solar cycles; how it works; how it has fed into other disciplines such as radiocarbon dating, art history and climatology, and how its applications have led to transformative discoveries about the past. We will look at what tree-rings can tell us about the rise and fall of civilizations, climate change, migration, trade, settlement history and natural hazards.
Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award
— 2023 Award-Winning Course —
The teaching excellence displayed in this course earned this professor the highest honor that the Humanities Seminars Program has to bestow: the Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award. This award is given annually by the Humanities Seminars Program. It is based entirely on student evaluations and seeks to honor the pedagogical skill, depth of expertise, and commitment to students demonstrated by the most outstanding faculty who teach for the Humanities Seminars Program.
We are delighted to re-release this award-winning course during the Summer 2025 season.
- This course is offered as a recording. No live class sessions or meetings are scheduled with the professor or fellow students.
- Access – enrolled students have complete online access to course materials via the HSP Learning Portal from the day of their registration until August 31, 2025. On September 1, 2025, the class video recordings will be removed; however, students will retain access to all other course materials online.
- Price – has been reduced from our regular course tuition rates. Enrollment provides access to all course materials, including the original syllabus, reading materials, and video recordings of all class sessions for a limited time.
