THE RUINS OF AKROTIRI, SANTORINI

Many of the frescoes that were found adorning the houses have been removed to various museums, most notably the Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Akrotiri is located on the southwestern tip of the island of Santorini. The site was first discovered in 1866, after another volcanic eruption in which Minoan pots were discovered at Akrotiri.

It was over 100 years later, in 1967, when excavations were begun by one of my heroes, Professor Spyridon Marinatos, who explained to my complete satisfaction at an early age the myth of Atlantis being tied to the eruption of Santorini and the demise of the Minoan civilization centered on Crete. Professor Marinatos was killed in a fall at the site in 1974, and he is buried alongside what was his life's passion.

Houses at Akrotiri, some three stories high, date back to the late 16th century BC. The staircases are virtually intact and many of the houses still contain huge pithoi (ceramic storage jars). Also unearthed have been a mill, pottery, and storage rooms, and evidence of an elaborate drainage system.

An overpass bridge over the site gives you a vantage point that allows you to see an incredibly sophisticated and ancient city coming to light again after more than three millennia.

The city was left eerily desserted, without skeletal remains or treasures, suggesting the residents had warnings of the impending doom and time to clear out their possessions. Whether they escaped the cataclysm has room for debate, in my opinion, as there would have been major devestation from the tidal waves that ensued.

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