Work

Olive shrub buried on Therasia supports a mid-16th century BCE date for the Thera eruption

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: The precise date of the 2nd millennium BCE ("Minoan") eruption of Thera (Santorini) has long been a focus of controversy due to a discrepancy between archaeological and radiocarbon-based dating of materials from stratigraphic layers above and below tsunami, ash and pumice deposits resulting from the eruption. A critical, though controversial, piece of evidence has been four segments of a radiocarbon-dated olive tree branch, buried on Thera during the eruption. Here we report new radiocarbon evidence from an olive shrub found carbonized by the same eruption deposits on neighboring Therasia (Santorini). The Therasia olive shrub dates slightly younger than the previous olive branch. Calibrated results and growth increment counts indicate increased probabilities for a mid-16th century BCE date for the eruption, overlapping with multiple volcanic sulfate markers from ice core records.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33696-w

Authors: Charlotte Pearson, Kostas Sbonias, Iris Tzachili, Timothy J. Heaton

Institutions: University of Arizona, Ionian University, University of Crete, University of Leeds

Language: English

Topic: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,390

Funder: University of Arizona