title: Chronology for the Aegean Late Bronze Age 1700-1400 B.C.
abstract: Radiocarbon (carbon-14) data from the Aegean Bronze Age 1700-1400 B.C. show that the Santorini (Thera) eruption must have occurred in the late 17th century B.C. By using carbon-14 dates from the surrounding region, cultural phases, and Bayesian statistical analysis, we established a chronology for the initial Aegean Late Bronze Age cultural phases (Late Minoan IA, IB, and II). This chronology contrasts with conventional archaeological dates and cultural synthesis: stretching out the Late Minoan IA, IB, and II phases by approximately 100 years and requiring reassessment of standard interpretations of associations between the Egyptian and Near Eastern historical dates and phases and those in the Aegean and Cyprus in the mid-second millennium B.C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Classics, Cornell University, 120 Goldwin Smith Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-3201, USA. sm456@cornell.edu
authors.forename: Sturt W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: Christopher Bronk
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Ramsey
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kutschera
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higham
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kromer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steier
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wild
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002910:Chronology as Topic; D002962:Civilization / Q000266:history*; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D049690:History, Ancient; D010944:Plants; D012639:Seeds; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes