Wiggle-matched ¹⁴C chronology of Early Bronze Megiddo and the synchronization of Egyptian and Levantine chronologies

In a recent study by Regev et al. (2012), the radiocarbon data of Southern Levant was reanalyzed, causing a revision of the traditional absolute chronology of the Early Bronze Age in the Southern Levant. The new analysis demonstrated that the EB II was notably shorter than previously thought and that the EB III ended ca. 2500 BC, ca. 200-300 years earlier than the traditional chronologies. In order to understand how Megiddo fits into the new chronology, the authors designed and implemented a microstratigraphical excavation of the EB I to EB III strata at the site to identify new short-lived samples for radiocarbon dating. In modeling the results, we took advantage of known stratigraphical data to apply a wiggle-matching technique to the calibration curve, providing more precise dates for the samples. Overall, the dates from Megiddo are in line with the new radiocarbon-based chronology. These results as well as the implications of the dates for Egyptian-Levantine interactions of the 3rd Millennium BC are discussed.