The results of dating of extreme climatic events by damage to the anatomical structure and missing tree rings of the Siberian larch in the upper forest boundary of the Altai Republic are given. An analysis of the spatial distribution of the revealed dates over seven plots (Kokcy, Chind, Ak-ha, Jelo, Tute, Tara, and Sukor) allowed us to distinguish the extreme events on interregional (1700, 1783, 1788, 1812, 1814, 1884), regional (1724, 1775, 1784, 1835, 1840, 1847, 1850, 1852, 1854, 1869, 1871, 1910, 1917, 1927, 1938, 1958, 1961), and local (1702, 1736, 1751, 1785, 1842, 1843, 1874, 1885, 1886, 1919, 2007, and 2009) scales. It was shown that the events of an interregional scale correspond with the dates of major volcanic eruptions (Grimsvotn, Lakagigar, Etna, Awu, Tambora, Soufriere St. Vinsent, Mayon, and Krakatau volcanos) and extreme climatic events, crop failures, lean years, etc., registered in historical sources.

Despite the success achieved in the tree-ring dating of wood samples from archaeological excavations over the recent years, attempts to apply this method to relatively recent wooden constructions in central Siberia run into considerable difficulties, because the increment of wood in that area shows little variation due to the virtual absence of limiting factors. To solve this problem, we used the blue intensity method, based on measuring the optical density of wood. This method is more sensitive to environmental changes of annual growth rates and is optimal in terms of efficiency and cost. This article describes the techniques of sample preparation, measuring optical density of annual rings, and the construction of chronologies based on this indicator. The efficiency of the method is assessed by comparing it with the traditional approach based on tree-ring width for dating wood from the temperate zone of Siberia. Results of dating two wooden structures (the Gromov house (1870) and the Gafarov store (1909)) indicate the efficiency of the new method virtually without limiting factors affecting increment rates.

ЭКСТРЕМАЛЬНЫЕ КЛИМАТИЧЕСКИЕ СОБЫТИЯ В ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОМ АЛТАЕ ЗА ПОСЛЕДНИЕ 1500 ЛЕТ ПО ДАННЫМ ДРЕВЕСНО-КОЛЬЦЕВОЙ ХРОНОЛОГИИ JELO