Akrotiri, Greece's 'Pompeii,' buried by Thera eruption
The gist
Smithsonian Magazine published a feature on Akrotiri, the Bronze Age settlement on Santorini buried by Thera's eruption.
The ruins are called Greece's Pompeii, but scholars still dispute the eruption's date.
How it unfolded
- 1620 –1530 B.C.E.Scholars' general dating range for Thera's eruption, which buried Akrotiri and the island in some 200 feet of ash and pumice.
- Nov 3, 2026Smithsonian Magazine published Aileen Weintraub's article on Akrotiri.
- Nov 4, 2026X user Blanche Horst shared the Smithsonian article.
Key terms
- Bronze Age
- A prehistoric period marked by the use of bronze, following the Stone Age and preceding the Iron Age.
- caldera
- A large cauldron-like depression formed when a volcano's magma chamber empties and the ground collapses.
- pumice
- A very light, highly porous volcanic rock full of gas bubbles, often able to float on water.
Source: Wikipedia