They knew it was a long time ago, but it was also possible to tell in which year by radiocarbon examination of the annual rings of trees.
The researchers of the HUN-REN Nuclear Research Institute (ATOMKI) in cooperation with the University of Arizona and Slovak, Russian and British institutes have clarified when one of the intense solar flares occurred, which has been the subject of several historical records. The best-documented event of this kind took place around 774-775, and this could be demonstrated from tree rings in 34 different places around the world.
Current investigations have revealed that, contrary to earlier belief, the phenomenon in question was observed not in 660 BC, but in the summer of 664 BC. The samples used for the study came from Siberia, the Yamal Peninsula and the Altai Mountains, and they were compared with data from German oak trees and Japanese cedar trees.
They found a difference in the temporal location of the peaks of the radiocarbon signals, which corresponds to a time lag of 1-2 years. They managed to reconcile the different dates with the radiocarbon cycle model.
Source: www.pcwplus.hu
