Lesson plan
Dry Tree
, flanked by the Trees of the Sun and the Moon. Rouen 1444–1445 The Dry Tree (or Tree Solitary) is a legendary tree. It was recorded first by Marco Polo, somewhere in northern Persia. According to Polo, it was the only tree within hundreds of kilometres of desert. According to legend, the Dry Tree marked the exact site of a great battle between Alexander the Great and Darius. It is not known whether this "great battle" refers to the Battle of Issus or the Battle of Gaugamela. The purported location—somewhere in Khorasan, near the border with present day Turkmenistan—is also impossible to ascertain, because Darius had already been assassinated when Alexander reached these regions.
Article summary
, flanked by the Trees of the Sun and the Moon. Rouen 1444–1445 The Dry Tree (or Tree Solitary) is a legendary tree. It was recorded first by Marco Polo, somewhere in northern Persia. According to Polo, it was the only tree within hundreds of kilometres of desert. According to legend, the Dry Tree marked the exact site of a great battle between Alexander the Great and Darius. It is not known whether this "great battle" refers to the Battle of Issus or the Battle of Gaugamela. The purported location—somewhere in Khorasan, near the border with present day Turkmenistan—is also impossible to ascertain, because Darius had already been assassinated when Alexander reached these regions.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.