Sunday, April 30, 2006

Redating the Canaanite Dynasty in Egypt

Bloomberg is reporting that a new research into the radiocarbon dating of archaeological materials from Crete, Greece and Turkey will reset timelines for the ancient middle east. The Santorini volcanic eruption is being redated to 1600-1627 B.C. instead of 1500 B.C. Here's a quote:

The new timeline places a number of events before about 1600 B.C., including the formation and high point of the New Palace period on Crete, the Shaft Grave period on the Greek mainland, and the Middle to late Cypriot period on Cyprus, the scientists said. The New Palace era, when Crete dominated Aegean trade and culture, stretched across more than 250 years, they wrote.

The chronology also shows those eras are contemporary with Egypt when it was controlled by a Canaanite dynasty with links to the Levant, not the earlier New Kingdom Dynasty, they said.
I wonder if redating the Canaanite era in Egypt will result in a redating of the traditional time of the Exodus. Or, are the historical timelines of Crete, Greece and Turkey just being revised to correctly align with an already accurate timeline for Egypt? I'll watch for further information and post updates.

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