The Eruption of Santorini free essay sample

A look at the connection in the eruption of the Santorini volcano and the decline of the Greek Bronze Age. This paper attempts to relate the decline of the Greek Bronze Age with the eruption of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. The author examines the developments that led to the decline of the Greek Bronze Age and how they coincide with the eruption of Santorini volcano. Two of the greatest controversial questions in ancient Greek history are when did the decline of the Greek Bronze Age begin and what caused this dramatic reversal in progress? Dates have varied from as early as 1350 B.C. to as late as 1100 B.C. Causes have range from massive invasions by barbarians to widespread droughts. However, evidence has begun to surface that suggests the possibility that there was a massive series of natural phenomena that affected the whole eastern Mediterranean region between 1600 and 1300 B.C. After examining all of the current evidence, a conclusion can be drawn that a series of earthquakes shook the region during several decades which set off a cataclysmic volcanic eruption on the island of Thera. This explosion can be directly connected with the decline of Bronze Age Greece.