High Precision Dating and Archaeological Chronologies: Revisiting an old problem

A groundbreaking integration of dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating offers unprecedented precision for chronologies in the Aegean and East Mediterranean, resolving longstanding debates about the timing of events like the destruction of Troy or the construction of Midas’s tomb. The study demonstrates that while high-resolution dating can pinpoint specific events—such as building construction or burial dates—it does not inherently provide a narrative history, raising questions about the validity of event-centric interpretations in archaeology. By combining tree-ring sequences with radiocarbon analysis, researchers address the challenges of regional 14CO2 offsets and floating chronologies, though they caution against overinterpreting results to fit preconceived historical narratives.

(Ed.). (2014). High Precision Dating and Archaeological Chronologies: Revisiting an old problem. The Bible and Radiocarbon Dating, 126–138. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315711294-18