Akrotiri discovered in 1960s excavations on Santorini after 1866 volcanic material quarrying. In 1866, quarry workers stripping volcanic material for the Suez Canal found man-made stone blocks, pottery shards, and preserved agricultural goods Ferdinand Fè arrived on Santorini in 1866 to study the volcano and ancient ruins beneath the ash Modern excavations began in the late 1960s, revealing a city culturally connected to Minoan Crete
In 1867, quarry workers removing volcanic material from Santorini discovered stone blocks, pottery, and preserved goods. French geologist Ferdinand Fouqué arrived that same year to study the volcano and ancient ruins beneath the ash. Modern excavations began in 1967 under Spyridon Marinatos, revealing a city culturally linked to Minoan Crete. The buried Bronze Age settlement was named Akrotiri after the nearby village on ancient Thera.
Key Facts
- In 1866, quarry workers stripping volcanic material for the Suez Canal found man-made stone blocks, pottery shards, and preserved agricultural goods
- Ferdinand Fè arrived on Santorini in 1866 to study the volcano and ancient ruins beneath the ash
- Modern excavations began in the late 1960s, revealing a city culturally connected to Minoan Crete
- The buried city was named Akrotiri after a nearby cape on Santorini (ancient Thera)
Related site: Akrotiri - Prehistoric City — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Bronze Age Atlantis: The Buried City of Akrotiri by Luke Caverns