The Akrotiri Archaeological site was a gem. Just before Santorini's massive eruption from 1630 BC, the people fled, leaving behind this city that was soon to be buried. Similar to Pompeii, but without the human deaths. Something that continually blew our minds: Pompeii seems ancient to us (79 AD), but the Minoan culture of Santorini would have been considered ancient to the Romans. Some scholars think the legend of Atlantis started from the Romans talking about the ancient culture of the Aegean Minoans... who knows?
The part of the town that has been excavated (just a fragment of what would have been present) is in a covered structure which makes viewing the town easy and a bit eerie, as you are walking on a boardwalk above piles and piles of dense ash, with structures carved out of the white thick ash. Most of the artwork has been moved to the museum in Thira, or Athens, but to end with this after viewing the figurines, frescoes, and pots in the museums was a good reminder that this art came from a culture that had to move and abandon their lives on Santorini. Heartbreaking. I've always had a love of Minoan art, and seeing the size and beauty of the frescoes was such a treat.
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| Cycladic figurine 'speedo'. These little figurines were found everywhere in the Minoan culture. |
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| This was taken from the interior wall of one of the houses in Akrotiri. The size floored me- perhaps 8 feet high |
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| Blue Monkeys |
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