The Thera olive branch, Akrotiri (Thera) and Palaikastro (Crete): comparing radiocarbon results of the Santorini eruption
Abstract
An olive branch is traditionally a symbol of peace, but not necessarily in the context of chronological problems in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Near East during the second millennium BC. Cherubini et al. (above) strongly attack the radiocarbon dating by Friedrich et al. (2006) of an ancient olive branch, buried by volcanic tephra during the Minoan Santorini eruption. The criticism stems from their investigation of growth rings in modern olive trees on Santorini. The authors attempt with additional arguments, beyond their botanical investigation, to defend the traditional low chronology of the Santorini eruption of around 1500 BC. However, they ignore other crucial publications with radiocarbon dates concerning the Santorini eruption. In this response, we evaluate and negate their main arguments, and present our own conclusions.
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The individual 14C dates of Palaikastro range from 3390 ± 35 BP (GrA-30339) to 3310 ± 35 BP (GrA-30336).
“The individual 14C dates of Palaikastro range from 3390 ± 35 BP (GrA-30339) to 3310 ± 35 BP (GrA-30336)”
From The Minoan Thera eruption predates Pharaoh Ahmose: Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian 17th to early 18th Dynasty museum objects (2025) · cites this paper as [194]
The similarity in radiocarbon dates between Akrotiri, the Thera olive branch, and Palaikastro indicates that the former radiocarbon dates were not influenced by magmatic volcanic CO2 gas lacking 14C.
“This similarity in radiocarbon dates between Akrotiri, the Thera olive branch, both next to the volcano, and Palaikastro at 160 km south-east from the volcano, indicates that the former radiocarbon dates were not influenced by magmatic volcanic CO2 gas lacking 14C [194].”
From The Minoan Thera eruption predates Pharaoh Ahmose: Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian 17th to early 18th Dynasty museum objects (2025) · cites this paper as [194]
Cites
Santorini Eruption Radiocarbon Dated to 1627-1600 B.C.
Friedrich, W. L., Kromer, B., Friedrich, M., Heinemeier, J., Pfeiffer, T., & Talamo, S. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1125087 · Cited by 377 · see citing works
Bruins, H. J., MacGillivray, J. A., Synolakis, C. E., Benjamini, C., Keller, J., Kisch, H. J., Klügel, A., & van der Plicht, J. (2008) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2007.08.017 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Self-citationKutschera, W., Bietak, M., Wild, E. M., Ramsey, C. B., Dee, M., Golser, R., Kopetzky, K., Stadler, P., Steier, P., Thanheiser, U., et al. (2012) · Radiocarbon · doi:10.1017/s0033822200047172 · Cited by 58 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Indeed the calibrated radiocarbon dates of Tell el-Dab‘a are systematically older by more than 100 years than the archaeological age assessments, as discussed by Bruins (2010) and Kutschera et al. (2012).”
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Manning, S. W., Höflmayer, F., Moeller, N., Dee, M. W., Ramsey, C. B., Fleitmann, D., Higham, T., Kutschera, W., & Wild, E. M. (2014) · Antiquity · doi:10.1017/s0003598x00115388 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Age and impacts of the caldera-forming Aniakchak II eruption in western Alaska
Blackford, J. J., Payne, R. J., Heggen, M. P., de la Riva Caballero, A., & van der Plicht, J. (2014) · Quaternary Research · doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2014.04.013 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Bruins, H. J., & van der Plicht, J. (2025) · PLOS One · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0330702 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“This similarity in radiocarbon dates between Akrotiri, the Thera olive branch, both next to the volcano, and Palaikas-tro at 160 km south-east from the volcano, indicates that the former radiocarbon dates were not influenced by magmatic volcanic CO 2 gas lacking 14 C [194].”
Self-citation
- Authors
- Bruins, H. J., & van der Plicht, J.
- Affiliations
- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL)
- ORCID
- Bruins, Hendrik J.
- Venue
- Antiquity
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2014-03
- Volume
- 88
- Issue
- 339
- Pages
- 282-287
- ISSN
- 0003-598X (ISSN-L)
- 1745-1744
- OpenAlex
- W1560462018
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 1.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Antiquity (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Tree-ring climate responses
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History
- Keywords
- Santorini eruption, Minoan eruption, radiocarbon dating, olive branch, Akrotiri, Palaepaphos, tephra, eruption chronology, 2nd millennium BC
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