From	Tatiana M. Dedkova	Date	Mon, 5 May 97 09:44:43 +0500
To	Keith Briffa
Subject	from Shiyatov
Dear Keith, After our long silence we would like inform you about our sucesses, problems and plans. 1. The main success to our mind is the next. We have filled up the gap (1350-1250 BC) between the absolutely dated 3250-year Yamal chronology and the nearest floating chronology. It was happened few weeks ago using samples collected in 1996. Now there are no obstacles to develop in the nearest future the 7000-7500-year length continuous chronology. Now we are working with ancient samples: searching the places of missing and false rings, making more precise datings of individual chronologies and so on. During this time interval we have some problems. For example, no more samples were found up to now to confirm the absence of false ring near 360 BC. 2. This summer we intend to hold an expedition from the end of June to the middle of August in the southern part of Yamal peninsula to collect more samples of subfossil wood which have a great many of rings, are sensitive and cover the intervals represented by insufficient quantity of samples at present. We think that during this field season we must collect a necessary quantity of samples to develop a well represented 7000-7500 years chronology. Next year we intend to collect subfossil samples of wood from the middle part of Yamal peninsula to reconstruct the dynamics of polar timberline during the Holocene in detail using a large number of tree remnants absolutely dated by dendrochronological method. 2. This year we have a small grant the from the Russsian Science Foundation for developing the Yamal supra-long chronology (approximately 4000 USD). But we are not sure that all this sum we will receive. For example, last year we have received 37% from the promised sum of money. As cost of helicopter's rent is increased again this year (about $ 2.000 for one hour), we have the problem how to reach our research area in the Yamal peninsula. E. Vaganov have the same problem with organisation of field works over the territory of Taimyr peninsula. That is why we and E.Vaganov ask you to transfer each of us 7-8.000 USD until the end of June from the ADVANCE project, if it is possible. Last summer, when I was in England, you promised to help us with money to organise field works this year. 3. I am finishing a measurements of rings of subfossil wood samples collected last year on the surface and in one lake and some bogs in the Polar Ural Mountains. I found a little more ancient wood (not all samples are dated until now) and can prolong this chronology at least up to one hundred years. This summer I will be in the mountains and try to collect wood from other lakes. I want to develop the Polar Urals chronology for the last 2.000 years. 4. Now we are preparing the paper concerning Yamal project in Russian and we need to cite the paper prepared for Dendrochronologia in English. Could you send to us the last version of this articles by e-mail or by post? We wish you and your family the best. We wish the same to Phil Jones and his family. Sincerely yours Stepan Shiyatov and Rashit Hantemirov