CLASSICS 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Thalassocracy, Rite Of Passage, Knossos
Document Summary
Destroyed by volcanic eruption during new palace period 1600 bc. After eruption the island (thera) got much smaller in land. Dating the eruption of thera has been difficult. The traditional date for the eruption is c. 1500 bc based on archeological evidence such as pottery. Carbon dating of an olive wood branch carbonized in the eruption has yielded a date of 1600 bc. Scientists and archeologist gave also used dendrochronology (tree ring dating) and ice core sampling to try and date the eruption. Archeologists know that it is a minoan settlement based on the similarity if the architecture and the artifacts between crete and akritari (ex. The modern excavations of ak began in 1967 under the leadership of spyridon marinatos. Only a small area of the settlement has been excavated so far. Rare and valuable glimpse into the daily lives of the bronze age minoans. Preserved the minoan architecture exactly the way it was at the time of eruption.