| Santorini Prehistoric museum |
 The museum is located in Fira, next to the main bus terminal. Famous for its exhibits from the Akrotiri excavations, it is host of approx. 500 exhibits.Specifically, all these archaeological treasures, which demonstrate that the southernmost island in the Cyclades was a major centre, mainly during the 18th and 17th centuries B.C., come from the excavations carried out by the Archaeological Society of Athens in Akrotiri, from the excavations of the German Archaeological Institute in the area of Potamos and from excavations carried out by the 21st Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities for the Cyclades and Samos in different areas of Thera. There are also exhibits provided from other collections and donations. The Museum of Prehistoric There is on 3 levels. The permanent exhibition is housed on the third level (second floor) and covers 600 m2. The second level (on the 1st floor) was judged to be the most suitable area for temporary exhibitions, making it possible to exhibit the many movable finds which are kept in the museum's storerooms. These storerooms, together with the restoration facilities comprise the first level ( ground level). The permanent exhibition, which covers more then 3500 years of the island's history, is divided into four parts covering Prehistoric Thera (“The discovery of an Archaeological Site”), the island's geological development through the Ages (“The Geology of Thera”), its development from the Late Neolithic Period (“Thera from the Neolithic Period to the Earthquake Catastrophe”) and the heyday of Akrotiri towards the end of the 17th century B.C. A special position in the exhibition is held by the intricate wall paintings found in Akrotiri, which once lay buried beneath volcanic ash! They are the oldest examples of European art. Among other exhibits, there is a small painting of Ladies and Papyri from the so-called “House of the Ladies”, wall paintings of Blue Monkeys from “Group 2”, wall painting of plants, as well as fragments of wall painting showing the so-called “African”, the “Adoring Monkeys”, “Bird” etc. Other finds from Akrotiri include the plaster casts of furniture, the household goods, the copper ware, the exquisite jewellery, tools and weapons. The gold ibex figurine, 9 cm in height and weighing 180 grammes, is particularly impressive, as are the fossilised remains of the plants that flourished on there before the appearance of Man. Opening hours : Mon-Sat 08:30-15:00 (Mon closed) Tel. : 22860-23217 source : www.acci.gr |
