Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian artifacts puts Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption prior to Pharaoh Ahmose

New study shifts the dating of major Bronze Age events

A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE presents new evidence that the volcanic eruption of Minoan Thera (modern-day Santorini) occurred before the reign of Pharaoh Ahmose I, overturning long-held views of Bronze Age chronology.

Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian artifacts puts Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption prior to Pharaoh Ahmose

One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years took place at the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea, but its dating during the late 17th or 16th century BCE remained controversial. Volcanic ash from the eruption spread over a large area in the eastern Mediterranean region. One of the lingering questions in archaeology was how this huge geological event lined up with royal Egyptian chronologies.

Thera eruption predates Pharaoh Ahmose: radiocarbon study solves ancient mystery in Egypt’s chronology

A new radiocarbon dating analysis has finally settled one of archaeology’s most contentious debates: when the massive eruption of Thera (Santorini) volcano occurred in relation to the dynastic timeline of ancient Egypt. The research, published in PLOS ONE by an international team of scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Groningen, […]

New radiocarbon dating of Egyptian artifacts puts Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption prior to Pharaoh Ahmose

First study given access to artifacts in British museums for radiocarbon dating the transition period between the Second Intermediate Period and the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.