"The eruption of Thera represents a special, clearly defined, moment in Aegean and east Mediterranean prehistory. If the eruption could be precisely dated, it would offer a unique linchpin for the study and synchronisation of the history and cultures of the region in the mid-second millennium B.C. Further, it would provide a key test for the historical chronology of ancient Egypt (as determined by two centuries of scholarship) and the derived archaeological chronologies currently employed in the Aegean and east Mediterranean." "This book seeks a resolution of the Thera date, and related archaeological chronologies, based on a critical review of all current archaeological and scientific data. A new 'early' chronology for the Aegean c.1700-1400 B.C. is proposed."--BOOK JACKET.