[Oberon]

Since it was made of wood scientists used dendrochronology – the technique of dating by tree rings – to give a precise figure of 3863 BC.

I do not understand this. Did they count the rings of a nearly 4,000-year-old tree that was still growing at the bottom of the lake?

This absurd answer is the only way I can come up with to use tree-ring-counting to date the construction to within a year. Otherwise some interpolation must be going on.

[alexander_busek]

>>I do not understand this. Did they count the rings of a nearly 4,000-year-old tree that was still growing at the bottom of the lake?<<

No. Where in the article is a “still growing” tree mentioned? Rather, the scientists compared the rings still identifiable in cross-sections of fragments of the DEAD wood belonging to the find with established dendrochronological records relevant to that geographical region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrochronology

[stormer]

With this technique the assumption is that the tree was cut and used within a year. By comparing the growth rings from contemporary trees (perhaps 1000 years old) with one known to be older, for example from 1000 year old construction from the same region, an overlapping scale is constructed. By continually moving back in time and comparing growth rings, accurate dating can be achieved.