When did the Minoan (Thera) volcanic eruption occur?

There is a considerable amount of debate surrounding the time frame of the Minoan, also known as the Thera, eruption. Evidence for the eruption itself is found throughout the Eastern Mediterranean region. Most scholars date the Minoan eruption between 1627BCE and 1590 BCE.

Radiocarbon dates, thought to be the most accurate dating techniques applied to evidence of the Minoan eruption, suggest that the volcano's activity reached its peak between 1627-1600BCE (see Friedrick et al., 2006, Science Magazine). Using an olive tree branch, this team was able to narrow the 95% confidence interval to a smaller time frame than previously suggested.

In fact, the only other leading school of thought is led by archaeologists who date the Minoan eruption to approximately 1500BCE based on artifacts collected at the study site. Although chemical dating is typically thought to be the most accurate method of creating a timeline for something like a volcanic eruption, qualitative evidence suggests that the chemical process may be yielding incorrect results.