A tree dating back to before the birth of Christ has been discovered in southeastern North Carolina.

Scientists discovered the cypress tree, whose internal annual growth rings show it to be at least 2,624 years old, along the Black River in the southeastern part of the state. Given it's old age, the tree dates back to before Confucius and the English language.

The discovery makes the tree, and some others in the area that are more than 2,000 years old, the oldest living trees in eastern North America. It confirms that the species of tree, the bald cypress, is the oldest-known wetland tree species and the fifth-oldest tree species on Earth, according to research published Thursday in the journal Environmental Research Communications.

Scientists had previously discovered a 2,088-year-old cypress tree in the swamp and several more trees along the Black River are more than 1,000 years old. The oldest along the Black River are mostly located in a section of the swamp known as the Three Sisters Cove.

David Stahle, director of the Tree-Ring Laboratory, told The Charlotte Observer that he believes some trees in the area could exceed 3,000 years old, and researchers are hoping the discoveries will promote conservation efforts and raise awareness of the importance of the region.

"If the true antiquity of bald cypress can be documented then the very presence of exceptionally old living trees could help promote public and private conservation efforts in the Black River watershed," the research stated.

Stahle told the Observer that he and his team discovered the old trees while attempting to reconstruct the historical climate of the southeastern United States by measuring the width of tree rings.

In order to date the trees, researchers used radiocarbon analysis and dendrochronology, a technique that uses the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in tree trunks.

The Black River is 66 miles long and flows through portions of Sampson, Pender and Bladen counties before emptying into the Cape Fear River. According to The Nature Conservancy , which works to protect the river, the waterway contains the oldest trees east of the Rocky Mountains and is home to rare species. It is one of the cleanest, high-quality waterways in the state and was designated an Outstanding Resource Water in 1994.

