Description of the attraction
During archaeological excavations near the modern village of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini, one of the most important prehistoric settlements of the Aegean Sea was discovered. Historians do not know the real name of this settlement.
The earliest finds discovered during excavations indicate the presence of a settlement here as early as the 4th millennium BC. Akrotiri is associated with the Minoan civilization due to the use of Linear A (a type of Cretan script) and the close similarity of artifacts and the style of frescoes.
The settlement developed rapidly and around the 20th and 17th centuries BC. here arose one of the main urban centers and ports of the Aegean Sea. The city occupied about 20 hectares and was equipped with complex drainage and sewerage systems and multi-storey buildings (discovered during excavations), which preserved magnificent wall paintings, furniture, household utensils and much more. Also, many objects imported from outside were discovered (from Crete, mainland Greece, Syria, Egypt, Cyprus, etc.), which indicates well-developed trade relations.
It is believed that at the end of the 17th century, residents began to gradually leave the city due to the frequent earthquakes. After a violent volcanic eruption, around 1500 BC, the city was completely buried under a layer of volcanic rocks and ash, which allowed it, however, to survive perfectly to our time. During the excavations, no unburied remains of people were found, which suggests a timely evacuation.
The first evidence of an ancient settlement was discovered at the end of the 19th century, but systematic excavations began much later - only in 1967 by the famous Greek archaeologist Professor Spyridon Marinatos under the auspices of the Archaeological Society in Athens.
Today, ancient relics found in Akrotiri and of great historical importance can be seen in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, as well as in the Archaeological and Prehistoric Museums of Fira (Santorini).
