| Santorini Akrotiri |
Santorini's Akrotiri Prehistoric settlement
The first traces of a Bronze age settlement on Santorini were found in 1860s on the island of Therasia. At that time there were large quarries throughout the island where pumice was excavated for the Suez Canal Company (for construction of Port Said) Santorini’s pumice when mixed with lime produced an excellent cement that hardened well under water. In one of these quarries workers uncovered the remains of walls beneath the pumice. The significance of this discovery was not appreciated until 1866 when some scientists visited Santorini to observe the eruption of 1866. A scientist that visited the quarry by chance immediately realized that the ruined walls were older than the pumice that covered them. The workers of the quarry undertook an excavation project that brought to light a house with several rooms in which they found ceramics and tools. Page 99
The ancient city of Akrotiri is undoubtedly the most important archaeological site of Santorini, and the most important prehistoric settlement of the greater Eastern Mediterranean. For this reason many people consider it as the prehistoric Pompeii of the Aegean. Akrotiri's first signs of human presence date back to the fifth millenium BC. At that time the main occupation of its people was fishing and trading. The site of Akrotiri was ideal due to its natural protection from the North winds and its strategic location connecting Crete with the eastern Mediterranean. Gradually, the number of inhabitants increases, growing the first settlement into a large city with urban development. Thus, Akrotiri became an important commercial hub connecting Crete with the South East Aegean. The prehistoric city of Akrotiri attained very advanced and sophisticated levels of organization, development, architecture, wealth that are comparable to today's standards. The archaeologists who discovered the settlement found three storey buildings, vertical streets starting from its harbour with north/south orientation, smaller alleys connecting to them, sophisticated facades, public utilities such as a sewerage system, systems of circulation of fresh water (separate cold from hot). The supplies found in vessels indicate the overall wealth and affluence of the community: Cereals, flour, pulses, dried fruit and other staples were stored in large jars for everyday use and luxury goods such as (ostrich's eggs, faience, semi-precious stones) were found in vessels made by artisans. The most impressive and best known finds from Akrotiri are the wall paintings which are considered to be " the most important artwork found in the Aegean at all times". According to the Archaeologists there is a strong Cretan influence on the art and technology employed in Akrotiri. At that time, an important civilisation known as Minoan was flourishing in Crete and given the small proximity between the two sites, it is a normal outcome. |