Akrotiri
11:08 PM
So, Michelle and I missed the boat around the volcano, and several other cool things on Santorini, in order to go to Akrotiri--the archaeological site of what is often called the Minoan Pompeii. Ok, Pompeii you know--the Roman village covered with ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, preserving intact much of the lifestyle of the people there (and the people, too, at Pompeii...but that's another trip).
Akrotiri, at least that's what we call it now, was a village on the south side of Santorini, during the Minoan age. It was some sort of fishing and trading village, linked to Crete. [A more complete history here.] Then about 1450 BCE, the local volcano erupted, and encased this village in ash and pumice, effectively erasing it from history and habitation. Just for context, in 1450 BCE, Troy itself was a flourishing kingdom, still 200 years before its fall.
Some folks think that Plato perhaps created the legend of Atlantis from this volcanic explosion, and from the fate of Akrotiri. So, we walked past, in town, the Hotel Atlantis, and this, my favorite sign in the modern town...
Our guide told us the place was rediscovered when workers told the builders of the Suez Canal that this island was a good source of pumice, used to line the Canal. (And pumice mining was long an enterprise here, though more recently forbidden, since eventually the whole island might be mined away.) Excavations started on the village in 1967, and a new structure recently built over the site to protect it from the weather--artifacts that had been preserved from quakes and weather for 3500 years could quickly be destroyed, now that we've uncovered them. Recent--this site opened in April, 2012.
So, Michelle was bummed that we didn't get to Crete, which our original tour with EF had promised (still not clear on this change), but at least we did get into the same era, perhaps some cousins of ancient Minoan Civilization...
Our wikipedia friends give us this map of the excavation site:
So, here's what we saw...the basic interior, with the new dome...
one of the pillars of this new protection...
an overview...
this place where people lived and walked, 3500 years ago...
two beds, overturned and preserved in the ash...
a house where hundreds of jars were once stored...
and...
some of the walls...
and Michelle trying to absorb it all...
Oh, one thing--no bodies were discovered here, unlike at Pompeii. Apparently, the volcano rumbled and smoked and shook the earth enough that people knew what was coming. They packed up and got off the island....So, some artifacts weren't found here, especially precious metals, jewelry, weapons, things easy to transport. (But miles more of probably village have still not been excavated--we may find one of those paintings that tells us to launch off for a distant star!) The wall frescoes remained, but those are in the museum in the middle of town.
later, bob
Akrotiri, at least that's what we call it now, was a village on the south side of Santorini, during the Minoan age. It was some sort of fishing and trading village, linked to Crete. [A more complete history here.] Then about 1450 BCE, the local volcano erupted, and encased this village in ash and pumice, effectively erasing it from history and habitation. Just for context, in 1450 BCE, Troy itself was a flourishing kingdom, still 200 years before its fall.
Some folks think that Plato perhaps created the legend of Atlantis from this volcanic explosion, and from the fate of Akrotiri. So, we walked past, in town, the Hotel Atlantis, and this, my favorite sign in the modern town...
So, Michelle was bummed that we didn't get to Crete, which our original tour with EF had promised (still not clear on this change), but at least we did get into the same era, perhaps some cousins of ancient Minoan Civilization...
Our wikipedia friends give us this map of the excavation site:
So, here's what we saw...the basic interior, with the new dome...
one of the pillars of this new protection...
a house where hundreds of jars were once stored...
some of the walls...
Oh, one thing--no bodies were discovered here, unlike at Pompeii. Apparently, the volcano rumbled and smoked and shook the earth enough that people knew what was coming. They packed up and got off the island....So, some artifacts weren't found here, especially precious metals, jewelry, weapons, things easy to transport. (But miles more of probably village have still not been excavated--we may find one of those paintings that tells us to launch off for a distant star!) The wall frescoes remained, but those are in the museum in the middle of town.
later, bob
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