Discovery of annual growth in a modern olive branch based on carbon isotopes and implications for the Bronze Age volcanic eruption of Santorini
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: The volcanic eruption of Santorini in the Bronze Age left detectable debris across the Mediterranean, serving as an anchor in time for the region, synchronizing chronologies of different sites. However, dating the eruption has been elusive for decades, as radiocarbon indicates a date about a century earlier than archaeological chronologies. The identification of annual rings by CT in a charred olive branch, buried alive beneath the tephra on Santorini, was key in radiocarbon dating the eruption. Here, we detect a verified annual growth in a modern olive branch for the first time, using stable isotope analysis and high-resolution radiocarbon dating, identifying down to the growing season in some years. The verified growth is largely visible by CT, both in the branch's fresh and charred forms. Although these results support the validity of the Santorini branch date, we observed some chronological anomalies in modern olive and simulated possible date range scenarios of the volcanic eruption of Santorini, given these observed phenomena. The results offer a way to reconcile this long-standing debate towards a mid-sixteenth century BCE date.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Yael Ehrlich, Lior Regev, Elisabetta Boaretto
Institution: Weizmann Institute of Science
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,990
Funder: Weizmann Institute of Science
OpenAlex ID: W3120133137