The Ruins of Akrotiri
... Is this a link to mythical Atlantis?

Akrotiri is an ancient city buried, and preserved by, the volcanic ash. Some call it the Pompei of the Greek Islands. It is a live dig with ongoing excavations. 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. 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.

The frescoes from Akrotiri are of Minoan style, similar to those found at the Palaces of Knossos and Phaistos on Crete. The best known examples are "The Young Fisherman", of a boy holding blue and yellow fish, and "The Young Boxers" showing two dark skinned boys with long black hair and almond-shaped eyes. The frescoes kept their colour all this time because they were preserved in the lava.

The site is covered with a modern roof for protection against the elements.