On the southwestern coast of Thera, near the present-day settlement of Akrotiri, one of the most important centres of the prehistoric Aegean developed during prehistoric times. With its long history (c. 4500 BC – c. late 17th century BC), it enjoyed a dynamic participation in the formation of the Cycladic Civilization. The systematic excavation research was begun at the site in 1967 by Professor Spyridon Marinatos and continues to this day with Professor Christos Doumas, under the auspices of the Athens Archaeological Society. This work has revealed part of the densely built centre of the thriving Late Cycladic city. Buried under the materials ejected by the volcano of Thera during the catastrophic eruption of the Late Bronze Age, probably at the end of the 17th century BC, its excavated part keeps the image of the city alive to this day in a unique way.
The discoveries in the multi-storey buildings are quite staggering. Rich frescoes decorate the walls: some close to intact and in place, whilst others, preserved in fragments detached from the walls, can yet be sufficiently restored to completeness that it is possible to reconstruct their entire iconographic programs. Multitudes of vases and all kinds of objects from the richly furnished public and private buildings are often revealed whole, even preserving their contents. Impressions or negatives left in the ash allow the recovery, by plaster casts made, of objects or architectural elements from perished organic materials. Remains of organic materials themselves may be uniquely preserved under the volcanic materials. Thus, the finds illuminate the daily life, occupations, dietary habits, know-how, architecture, ideology, religious beliefs, customs, aesthetics and artistic achievements of the outgoing Theran society of the Late Bronze Age, as well as the environmental conditions of the time.
Under the modern, bioclimatic shelter (designed by the architect N. Fintikakis) that protects this unique monumental complex of the prehistoric Aegean, an organized archaeological site can today be visited. Following the special tour-routes with their selected viewing stops, a sightseer can take in the entire area of some 3 acres revealed to date out of this urban centre, marvelling at its excellent urban organization, the cobblestone streets with the faultless sewage system, the open squares as well as the more than 30 multi-storey public and private buildings. Even deeper layers have been here and there reached, whose study has allowed the reconstruction of the history of the place.
The first settlement in this privileged location, then a narrow peninsula with safe anchorages and with arable land close by, dates back to the Late Neolithic Age (c. 4500 BC). In the Early Bronze Age, locally the Early Cycladic period (c. 3200-2100 BC), the small Neolithic village of fishermen, farmers and stockbreeders developed into a notable settlement with an important position in maritime communication in the Aegean. Struck, as it seems, by an earthquake at the end of the period, it was succeeded by a fairly extensive settlement with urban characteristics, which flourished rapidly during the Middle Cycladic period. The seismic disaster at the beginning of the following Late Cycladic period, towards the middle of the 17th century. BC, inflicted a heavy blow on the buildings of the city, but such was its economic prosperity that a rapid reconstruction immediately followed.
The Late Cycladic city, maintaining with some modifications the urban fabric of its predecessor, expanded once again and was adorned with monumental public and private buildings. Many matters testify to the economic prosperity of the complex Theran society of the time: the building techniques used during their construction, with emphasis on an anti-earthquake protection, their layout and organization, the thorough integration of the sanitary areas to the city’s sewage system, their rich furnishings and household goods, their self-sufficiency in food, their exquisite mural decoration, the rich and diverse domestic ceramics and the multitude of imported products. The richness and variety of all this seems to have been due to commercial and maritime activities. Its native high cultural level enhanced by its network of relations with Crete, mainland Greece, the Cyclades, the southeastern Aegean and centres of the Eastern Mediterranean. All reflect the developing cultural evolution of previous periods, especially the Middle Cycladic period.
The city, emerging as one of the most important urban centres and ports of the Aegean since the Middle Cycladic period, was hit again, at the height of its prosperity, by an earthquake. The seismic activity once more led its residents to prepare to reconstruct the city, having established a makeshift camp on the outskirts of the city. This time, however, the quake was followed by the volcanic eruption a few score of days later. The rapid development and the early release of poisonous gases and smoke do not seem to have given its inhabitants the opportunity to get off the island. Once buried under volcanic deposits, Thera remained deserted for centuries.
The prehistoric city of Akrotiri, one of the most important monumental complexes of the world’s cultural heritage, highlights in a unique way the dynamic and creative series of events that made Thera one of the most important centres of the prehistoric Aegean, a result of its key position in the maritime communication networks of the time and its immediate proximity to Crete.
During the excavation, the buildings, streets and squares of the prehistoric city were given names reflecting their nature, by which they have now become known.
