Two Radiocarbon Dates of the Minoan Eruption on Santorini (Greece)
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During fieldwork on Santorini, Greece in May 1979 charcoal from a fire place was discovered at the Athinios pumice quarry, which is situated 2 km south of the town Fira.
The site was newly cleaned by a bulldozer, but it was still covered by a thin layer of white Minoan pumice belonging to the so-called Upper Pumice Series. The fire place was situated directly beneath the white pumice layer, so its stratigraphical position was clearly indicated as being of a Minoan or slightly older age.
In May 1978 Mr. Kalouros had informed the museum of Fira of the discovery of human skulls and pottery probably of a Minoan age. These findings were later collected and are now kept at the museum of Fira, but, as far as we know, have not yet been fully investigated. Since the above mentioned fire place was situated only about 100 m from the place with skulls and pottery, and at the same stratigraphical level, there might be a connection between the two sites.
The charcoal covered an area of about 0.30 m2 on the ground and consisted of a blackish powder, about 5 kg in all. Unfortunately it was not suited for a botanical investigation.
The second sample was collected in September 1976 at the excavations at Akrotiri on Thera. It consisted of remains of shortlived plants, mainly fava beans (Vicia faba L.) which were found in a jug by the south wall in the West House, room 5, that belongs to the LM I level. Permission to analyse the sample was kindly given by C. Doumas. The sample, which was measured in the Copenhagen Radiocarbon Laboratory, gave an age of 1700 B.C. in calendar years (calibrated in accordance with the tables in R.M. Clark 1975). This date agrees closely with the dates obtained for shortlived plant remains from the same level by Michael (1978). It should, however, be mentioned that radiocarbon dates of plant materials may be rendered too old due to photosynthesis of old CO2 emanating from fissures in the ground in volcanic surroundings (Chatters 1969; Sulerzhitzky 1970). Recently this effect has been studied directly at volcanic sites, including Thera, by Bruns et al. (in press). Depressions in C-14 values corresponding to apparent ages of 1390 years on recent plant materials were observed close to sites of emanating CO2 gas. It is not known whether similar effects may have influenced plant material from Minoan times on Santorini.
- K - 3227
Charcoal, Athinios Pumice Quarry, 3400 ± 70 B.P.
Santorini, Greece. From fire place 1450 B.C. C-14
covered by 40 m of pumice from the 1770 B.C. Cal.
Minoan eruption. Sample 210579-5.
D.G.U. 946.
C13 = -20.3‰.
- K - 3228
Beans (mainly Vicia faba L.), 3320 ± 70 B.P.
Akrotiri Excavations, Santorini, 3360 ± 70 B.P.
Greece. Found in a jug at the 3340 ± 55 B.P.
south wall in the West House,
room 5, structure delta 2, π 1, 1390 B.C. C-14
from LM I. Two measurements 1700 B.C. Cal.
were made; the final date is the
average. Sample 220579-3.
D.G.U. 947.
C13 = -20.6‰.
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| Source: | "Thera and the Aegean World II" |
| Papers and Proceedings of the Second International Scientific Congress, Santorini, Greece, August 1978 | |
| Pages: | pp. 241 - 243 |
| Written by: | - W.L. Friedrich - R. Friborg Geological Institute, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark - H. Tauber Radiocarbon Laboratory, National Museum, Copenhagen K, Denmark |
| Book information: | |
| ©Thera and the Aegean World | |
| ISBN: | 0 9506133 2 0 |
| Published by: | Thera and the Aegean World, 105-109 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3UQ |
| Editor: | C. Doumas |
| To order the book from amazon.co.uk: | http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0950613320/qid=1142346164/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_0_4/026-5808754-1144459 |