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Akrotiri - Greece's Pompeii

Per Nørgaard

Akrotiri is the most interesting archaeological site on Santorini. The town, which was completely buried by ash when the volcano erupted, is located at the very south end of Santorini. The archaeologists became aware of the city as early as 1866, but the major excavation work only started in 1967 under the direction of Professor Spyrídon Marinátos. Under a layer of ash several meters thick, the archaeologists excavated a snapshot of a Bronze Age city as it looked 3,600 years ago - streets, squares, millstones, a potter's workshop, a forge with anvils, and many residential houses - some as high as three storeys. The city had sewage systems and water pipes that carried both cold and hot water. The hot water came from springs in the ground. A large number of large ceramic storage jars, goblets, cookware and other items used in the household were also found. Even children's toys left behind came to light. But what perhaps aroused the greatest excitement were the well-preserved wall paintings which lead the mind to similar finds in the Knossos Palace on Crete. The frescoes, which are in bright colours, give us an insight into the daily life of the people who lived there. We see swimming dolphins, antelopes, monkeys on a raid, storks, herons and swallows, crocuses and lilies and people at work and activity - some are harvesting saffron, two boys with long jet-black hair are boxing with each other, and a naked boy proudly shows off two bunches of freshly caught fish. The crowning glory of the work is a fresco with great detail. In the foreground we see a boat with rowers and helmsman approaching the harbor in a city with magnificent buildings and many people. In the background we see flowers, trees and leaping antelopes. The frescoes are on display in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Some other things that have been excavated are exhibited in the two museums in Fira – the archaeological and the prehistoric.

 

No human or animal remains have been found in Akrotiri, suggesting that the inhabitants may have had a forewarning of the coming disaster and managed to get away in time.

 

The excavated city is now under cover, and tourists can follow criss-cross walkways and see it from all possible angles. Through the walk, visitors get an idea of what daily life was like on Santorini 3,600 years ago. There is a regular bus service to Akrotiri from the bus stop in the center of Fira.



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