A groundbreaking study has reshaped our understanding of one of the most cataclysmic volcanic eruptions in ancient history: the Thera (Santorini) eruption in the Aegean Sea. Traditionally placed around the late 17th or early 16th century BCE, the exact timing of this devastating event, which blanketed the eastern Mediterranean region in volcanic ash, has long eluded definitive chronology. This ambiguity has posed challenges for archaeologists attempting to synchronize the eruption with established royal Egyptian timelines. Recent collaborative research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Groningen now pierces this veil of uncertainty by utilizing advanced radiocarbon dating methods to pinpoint the eruption’s chronology in relation to Egyptian pharaohs.
The volcanic eruption on Thera was among the most violent in the last 10,000 years, unleashing an enormous volume of ash and pyroclastic flows that spread far beyond the Greek islands. For decades, debate persisted over whether the eruption occurred during Egypt’s New Kingdom period, particularly near the time of Pharaoh Ahmose, who famously unified Upper and Lower Egypt and inaugurated the 18th Dynasty. These questions have profound implications as they affect how historians interpret the interactions and cultural exchanges between the Egyptians and their Aegean neighbors during a pivotal era of civilization.
Professors Hendrik J. Bruins from Ben-Gurion University’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research and Johannes van der Plicht from the University of Groningen executed a meticulous scientific investigation to address these uncertainties. Gaining exceptional access to priceless Egyptian artifacts housed in the British Museum and the Petrie Museum in London, the researchers undertook radiocarbon dating on carefully selected materials directly linked to Pharaoh Ahmose’s reign. These samples included a mudbrick from the Ahmose Temple at Abydos, a linen burial cloth associated with the official Satdjehuty, and several wooden stick shabtis from Thebes.
The radiocarbon dating technique utilized measures the decay of carbon-14 isotopes within the organic materials, enabling researchers to calculate the age of these artifacts with remarkable precision. By directly dating objects attached to the reign of Ahmose, Bruins and van der Plicht established a chronological framework against which to compare the timing of the Santorini eruption. Their analysis revealed a seismic shift in the accepted timeline: the eruption predated the New Kingdom period, occurring significantly earlier during what is known as the Second Intermediate Period.
This revelation disrupts previously held assumptions and implies that the socio-political landscape of ancient Egypt underwent more protracted transitions than formerly believed. The Second Intermediate Period, a phase marked by political fragmentation and foreign influence, was likely lengthier than conventional Egyptian chronology accounts for. Consequently, the onset of the New Kingdom — a time marked by major dynastic consolidation and cultural flourishing — must be reconsidered as occurring later than previously posited.
What makes these findings particularly impactful is the direct correlation they establish between geological events and historical records. Volcanic ash layers found across the eastern Mediterranean provide a timestamped geological indicator that, when precisely matched to Egyptian artifacts using radiocarbon dating, anchor human history firmly within the context of natural disasters. This interdisciplinary approach combining archaeology, volcanology, and radiometric analysis exemplifies how modern science can recalibrate ancient chronologies with enhanced accuracy.
The study’s publication in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One adds a substantial weight to the discourse surrounding Mediterranean archeology and Egyptology. Beyond the scope of the eruption itself, the findings compel scholars to revisit relationships between ancient civilizations during this tumultuous era, including trade, migration, and cultural diffusion patterns that might have been influenced by such an unprecedented natural event. The revised chronology alters the backdrop against which these socio-cultural dynamics played out.
Moreover, this research underscores the importance of radiocarbon dating as a tool not merely for dating isolated artifacts but for refining broader historical timelines. By applying this method to objects of significant cultural heritage and ensuring stringent protocols during sampling and analysis, the authors demonstrate how science can remediate long-standing chronological debates. Precision in dating is critical, considering the cascading effects chronological adjustments have on interpreting ancient narratives.
While the ramifications of this work ripple through Egyptology, the broader implications extend to our understanding of environmental and climatic impacts on human history. The Santorini eruption, apart from its immediate fiery devastation, is hypothesized to have influenced climatic conditions that affected harvests, migrations, and conflict patterns in the ancient world. Accurately dating this event enables researchers to better assess how such natural disasters shaped the destiny of civilizations around the Mediterranean basin.
Prof. Hendrik J. Bruins, reflecting on the findings, remarked that their data supports a much longer Second Intermediate Period and thus a delayed commencement of the New Kingdom than conventional timelines suggest. This shift recalibrates our method of aligning archaeological strata, written Egyptian records, and geophysical phenomena. The precise timing of such a defining event helps clarify the sequence of historical developments in one of the world’s earliest known complex societies.
This invigorated perspective fosters opportunities for further explorations into how societies adapted to natural upheavals and how these adaptations in turn influenced political structures. As ancient records often intertwine mythological and historical episodes, robust scientific dating methods help disentangle allegory from fact, reconstructing a more reliable past.
Going forward, the interdisciplinary synergy witnessed in this study between archaeology, geology, and radiocarbon labs heralds a promising era in historical research. The teams’ strategic collaboration and rigorous methodology serve as a blueprint for future endeavors to tackle other chronologically contentious periods across the globe.
In conclusion, by pushing the boundaries of precise dating technologies and integrating them with archaeological evidence, researchers have afforded us a clearer gaze into the ancient past. The Santorini eruption’s placement within the Second Intermediate Period not only solves a major chronological riddle but also enriches our understanding of Egypt’s complex history and its intricate links with neighboring civilizations affected by one of humanity’s greatest natural disasters.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: The Minoan Thera eruption predates Pharaoh Ahmose: Radiocarbon dating of Egyptian 17th to early 18th Dynasty museum objects
News Publication Date: 10-Sep-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330702
Image Credits: Based on Mapcarta, the open map with CC BY license © OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, and Mapcarta
Keywords: Archaeology, Radiometric dating
