Page 215 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

Must See

Pleasure crafts moored off
the coast of Néa Kaméni,
one of the Burned Islands

it wasn’t until 1967 that the grain, flour and oil. The House 6
complete city was unearthed. of the Ladies is named after
Akrotíri was wonderfully pre­ its fresco of two voluptuous The Burned Islands
served after some 3,650 years women. The Triangle Square From Ammoúdi or Gialós,
of burial under volcanic ash. has large houses that were boats run to the neighbouring
The high light was the discov­ decorated with frescoes of islands. The nearest are Paleá
ery of frescoes such as The fisherboys and ships, now also Kaméni and Néa Kaméni,
Young Fisherman, depicting a displayed in Firá’s Prehistoric known as the Burned Islands.
youth holding blue and yellow Thera Museum. No human You can take a hot mudbath
fish, and The Young Boxers, remains were ever discovered, at Paleá Kaméni and walk up
showing two sparring part­ suggesting that the inhabi­ the crater at Néa Kaméni. The
ners. These are are now tants were probably warned most southerly island in the
displayed at the Prehistoric by tremors and left. group, Anáfi is a true retreat.
Museum in Firá (p211).
Now covered by a modern
roof, the excavations include GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF SANTORÍNI
late 17th­century BC houses Santoríni is one of several ancient volcanoes lying
on the Telkhines road, two on the southern Aegean volcanic arc. It was a circular
and three storeys high, many volcanic island before a massive eruption during the
still containing huge pithoi, or Minoan era, around 1450 BC, blew out its middle. Clouds
ceramic storage jars. The lanes containing molten rock extended for 30 km (19 miles).
were covered in ash and it was The eruption left a huge crater, and the rush of water
here that the fresco of the two into the void created a tsunami, which devastated the
boys boxing was uncovered. Minoan civilization. A huge volume of lava was ejected,
Further along there is a mill burying Akrotíri. The Burned Islands, Paleá Kaméni
and a pottery. A flyover­style and Néa Kaméni, in the middle of the sunken caldera,
bridge enables you to see the now part of the sea, emerged after subsequent volcanic
town’s layout, including a activity in 197 BC and 1707.
storeroom for pithoi that held
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