Santorini volcano

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Santorini Volcano
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Human settlements

We know that humans were living on the island immediately before the circa 1600 BC catastrophe. They had a culture that was quite advanced for its time. For example, excavators found outstanding frescoes and a sophisticated water pipe system.

Advance warning

Excavators found bodies and easily transportable treasures in Pompeii in Italy. The opposite was true at the Akritiri archaeological site in Santorini. This suggests that the Santorini volcano gave off tremors and rumbling sounds far enough in advance to give the Akritiri citizens sufficient time to pack and flee to distant islands.

Distant lands suffered, too

Most archaeologists believe that the volcanic eruption created devastating tsunamis and voluminous ash clouds that devastated distant population centers.

Minoan civilization

Some experts say these powerful natural forces helped bring to an end the great 20th to 16th century BC Minoan civilization. It was based on the island of Crete, 115 kilometers (70 miles) to the south of Santorini.

Lost City of Atlantis

A less proved but still plausible theory is that Santorini (Thera) was the fabled Lost City of Atlantis. Some of Plato's writings lend a moderate degree of credence.