MUSEUMS AND ARCHAEOLOCICAL SITES IN SANTORINI

Archaeological museum of Santorini
Location: Fira
Telephone: +30-22860-22217

It was built in 1960 by the Ministry of Public Works in order to replace the old museum (built in 1902), which had collapsed during the earthquakes of 1956.

The Museum contains the following collections:
Sculpture, ranging from the Archaic to the Roman period.
Inscriptions, ranging from the Archaic to the Roman period.
Vases and clay figurines, dating from the Geometric to the Hellenistic periods.

Museum of Prehistoric Thera
Telephone: +30-22860-23217

The Museum of Prehistoric Thera houses finds from the excavations at Akrtotiri, conducted under the auspices of the Archaeological Society at Athens, the earlier excavations at Potamos, made by members of the German Archaeological Institute at Athens, and rescue excavations at various other sites on the island, carried out by the 21st Ephorate of Antiquities for the Cyclades and Samos, as well as objects discovered fortuitously or handed over.

Ancient Thera
Location: Mesa Vouno

Ancient Thera, the Classical city of the island is located on Mesa Vouno, 396 m. above sea level. It was founded in the 9th century B.C. by Dorian colonists whose leader was Theras, and continued to be inhabited until the early Byzantine period. The preserved ruins belong to the Hellenistic and Roman phases of the city. The residential area and the larger part of the cemeteries were excavated by German archaeologists between 1895 and 1902. The cemeteries on the NE and NW slopes of Sellada were excavated by N. Zapheiropoulos in the years 1961-1982.

Archaeological site of Akrotiri
Location: Akrotiri

It is one of the most important prehistoric settlements of the Aegean. The first habitation at the site dates from the Late Neolithic times (at least the 4th millenium B.C.). During the Early Bronze Age (3rd millenium B.C.), a sizeable settlement was founded and in the Middle and early Late Bronze Age (ca. 20th-17th centuries B.C.) it was extended and gradually developed into one of the main urban centres and ports of the Aegean. The large extent of the settlement (ca. 20 hectares), the elaborate drainage system, the sophisticated multi-storeyed buildings with the magnificent wall-paintings, furniture and vessels, show its great development and prosperity. The various imported objects found in the buildings indicate the wide network of its external relations. Akrotiri was in contact with Crete but also communicated with the Greek Mainland, the Dodecanese, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt. The town's life came to an abrupt end in the last quarter of the 17th century B.C. when the inhabitants were obliged to abandon it as a result of severe earthquakes. The erruption followed. The volcanic materials covered the entire island and the town itself. These materials, however, have protected up to date the buildings and their contents, just like in Pompei.