Der Ausbruch des Thera-Vulkans um 1500 v. Chr.

The stylistic development of the painted pottery from the excavations of Akrotiri on Thera evidences that the great Late-Minoan eruption of the Thera volcano must be dated around 1500 B.C. The eruption had only minor effects on Crete which were not nearly so serious as has been supposed. The rate of ash fall and the height of the tsunamis did not play a significant role. After the Thera eruption Minoan trade and culture flourished as before. This means that the decline of the Minoan civilization was neither caused nor influenced by this volcanic event as suggested by the Marinatos theory. The Minoan decline was substantially initiated by great devastations in Crete which occurred, according to the ceramic chronology, around 1450 B.C. These destructions were the result of one or several violent regional tectonic earthquake(s) in combination with severe internal revolts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]