C-14 is a wonderful gift of nature for archaeology and related fields to establish absolute time scales. Yet, it has its limitations due to the natural variations of the C-14 content in the atmosphere. Great advances in both archaeological excavations and C-14 measurements by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) led to pushing both fields to their limits, in order to decide crucial issues in ancient history. In this talk, we will focus on the synchronization of civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Second Millennium BC. In the middle of this millennium, some 3500 years ago, the volcanic eruption of Thera (the modern Greek island of Santorini) set an important time mark. Yet, its exact date is elusive. Various methods of the natural sciences (C-14 dating, dendrochronology, ice core dating, analysis of volcanic ash by neutron activation and mass spectrometry) and the humanities (archaeology, oriental studies, egyptology, history) are employed to solve the problem. So far, no consensus has been reached. We will discuss the current situation, which will show that all methods are pushed to the limit of their applicability. Possible approaches for the solution of this problem will be discussed.