Ancient site · City
Akrotiri
Akrotiri on the island of Santorini (Thera) was a busy Bronze Age harbour town with paved streets, drains and houses up to three storeys high. It traded across the Aegean and was closely linked to Minoan Crete.
In the 16th century BCE a huge volcanic eruption buried it in ash, preserving it like a Bronze Age Pompeii, with beautiful wall paintings, pottery and furniture. Its ancient name is unknown. Excavation began in 1967, and a roof now covers the ruins.
- Dates
- settled by c. 4500 BCE; buried c. 1600 BCE
- Still standing
- Yes
- Location
- 36.35° N, 25.40° E
How we know
A few Linear A signs survive, but that script is undeciphered, so we rely on excavation; the eruption is dated by radiocarbon to about 1620–1530 BCE, and archaeologists debate the exact date.
Nearby sites
- Knossos (Palace of Minos) palace c. 1900–1350 BCE (hill settled from c. 7000 BCE)
- Acropolis of Athens (Parthenon) Parthenon 447–432 BCE; damaged 1687
- Mycenae citadel c. 1600–1100 BCE (Lion Gate c. 1250 BCE)
- Olympia Games c. 776 BCE (traditional) – 390s CE
- Sesklo c. 7000–4400 BCE (earliest levels possibly older)
- Troy (Hisarlik) c. 3600 BCE – c. 500 CE
Related
- Minoan civilisation archaeological culture