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Santorini
"Modern Greek THIRA, also called SANTORIN, or SANTORINI, island, southernmost island of the Cyclades group, Greece, in the Aegean Sea, sometimes included in the Southern Sporades group. The island has an area of 29 square miles (76 square km) and, together with other islands, forms an eparkhia ('eparchy') of the nomos (department) of Cyclades.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
"Druitt and Francaviglia (1992, 'Caldera formation on Santorini and the physiography of the islands in the late Bronze Age': Bulletin of Volcanology, v.54, p. 484-493) found evidence of at least 12 large explosive eruptions in the last 200,000 years at Santorini."
- "Santorini, Greece"
"Thera today is in fact a group of islands (Therasia, Aspronisi, Palaea Kameni, Nea Kameni and Thera proper which together form part of what was once one giant volcano. The massif of Profitis Elias, in the southeast of the main island (Thera proper), comprises the core of the original island."
- Christos G. Doumas Thera - Pompeii of the Ancient Aegean, p. 15
"Geologically, Thera is the remaining eastern half of an exploded volcano. Its bow-shaped rim and the remnant isles of Thirasia and Aspronisi form an open lagoon that measures 37 miles (60 km) in circumference. In the centre of the lagoon are two active volcanic islets, Nea Kameni ('New Burnt Island') and Palaia Kameni ('Old Burnt Island'). Thera proper consists largely of lava and pumice, the latter of which is the island's main export. Red-wine grapes are also grown. The lagoon is rimmed by red-, white-, and black-striped volcanic cliffs rising to almost 1,000 feet (300 m). The summit of Thera is the 1,857-foot (566-metre) limestone Mount Profitis Ilias in the southeast. The chief town, Thira (locally called Fira), was badly damaged by earthquake in 1956. Other settlements include Emborion and Pirgos to the south and the port of Oia at the north entrance to the lagoon, which was destroyed by the 1956 earthquake.
"Known as Calliste ("Most Beautiful") in antiquity, Thera was occupied before
2000 BC."
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
"Before 1500 B.C. the sea must have been further inland, as has been shown by the well dug near the south gate of the site, where brackish water was struck at a depth of about 6 m in the layer of pumice and below the ash layer....The spot lies about 200 m inland, in the valley between the hill of Mesovouna (east) and the ride of Mavro Rhachidhi (west). This location, sheltered by the surrounding hills, would have been idea for of prehistoric Akrotiri. In my opinion, it is this harbor which is depicted in the wall-painting of the fleet from the West House."
- Christos G. Doumas Thera - Pompeii of the Ancient Aegean
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