What Is The Museum Of Prehistoric Thera?

The Museum of Prehistoric Thera is in Firas, on the island of Santorini in Greece. It was built on the site of the old Ypapanti Church which was destroyed in the Amorgos earthquake of 1956. The ancient city was buried under the volcanic pumice which was erupted by the volcano of Santorini. Fortunately, the pumice conserved a great deal of items like vessels and wall paintings.

The Museum of Prehistoric Thera houses the findings belonging to one of the greatest regional civilizations of the prehistoric world, those that lived in Akrotiri. Most of the findings of Akrotiri are housed in the museum which is seen as an extending arm of the archaeological site.

The Museum also houses many ancient artifacts from other excavations on Santorini, such as the nearby Potamos site. The excavations carried out at Akrotiri area brought to light a greatly developed centre of the ancient world which had bloomed within the Aegean Sea during the 17^th century BC.

History

The French geologist F. Fouque conducted the earliest excavations on Santorini in 1867, after some of the locals found old artefacts at a quarry. During 1895 – 1900, the German archaeologist Baron Friedrich Hiller von Gaertringen revealed the ruins of ancient Thera on Mesa Vouno. He believed a Spartan colony lived there during the 9^th century BC.

Shortly here after R. Zahn started with excavated at Potamos, on behalf of the German Archaeological Institute at Athens. The main excavations at Akrotiri were conducted under the direction of the Archaeological Society of Athens

Professor Spyridon Marinatos, a Greek archaeologist, led the excavation works at Akrotiri in 1967 and encouraged the building of a museum to house the valuable finds from the site.

He concluded that the ancient Minoan civilization must have been situated in Akrotiri because it consists of a valley where the habitants would take advantage of its fertile soil. This specific area to the south of the island would also protect them against the north winds and it would offer a safe place for ships to anchor.

It was also the closest point to Crete which was the centre of Minoan civilization and it would enable the development of trading relations between the two islands.

The volcanic eruption destroyed the Minoan civilization but when miners collected pumice at the mines of Therasia to be used for the construction of the Suez Canal, the prehistoric ruins were found. Further excavations by French archaeologist in Akrotiri in 1870 and German archaeologists in 1900, prompted Marinatos to connect ancient Thera with the Minoan civilization.

Although the theory has not been confirmed the fact that the findings had been preserved in such a condition, attracted the interest of archaeologists from all over the world. The two-story building that house the Museum of Prehistoric Thera was erected in the beginning of the 1970s was finally opened to the public in 2000.

Interest For Today

At the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, visitors will feel like they are walking through the amazing, well-preserved prehistoric city, since it hosts many artifacts from there as well as frescoes and impressive mural paintings.

The collections are arranged chronologically, and include ceramics, sculptures, jewellery, wall paintings, and ritual objects. It is structured in four units, which refer to the history of research at Thera, the geology of Thera, the island’s history from the Late Neolithic to the Late Cycladic I period and the heyday of the city at Akrotiri.

Various aspects are represented in the last period, such as the plan and architecture of the city and its organization as an urban centre. It shows the emergent bureaucratic system, the development of the monumental art of wall-painting, the rich and diverse pottery repertoire, the elegant jewellery, the reciprocal influences between vase-painting and wall-painting, and the city’s and the island’s complex network of contacts with the outside word.

There are also exhibits of fossils of plants that flourished before the human habitation of Thera.

The wall paintings found in Akrotiri are famous and the most impressive items of that period. The art of wall painting appeared in Crete during the middle Bronze Age. The palace that was built in 1700 BC was decorated with such paintings presenting several scenes usually inspired by Knossos and Phaestos.

This specific art was mostly used for the palaces and other official buildings in the early 17^th century BC. It was only later that wall painting became a popular art for the habitants of the mainland. The art of wall painting was also done on the tripod tables which were used as worship vessels by the Cretans.

Thousands of ceramics, either imported or produced locally, founded at Akrotiri offered archaeologist important information on the private or religious life of the ancient habitants as well as on the relations between Thera and other Easter Mediterranean Sea cities. It dates to the Neolithic era until about the 17^th century BC.

It reveals evidences on the way people used to organize their life inside or outside their buildings. The clay made vessels were used for storing food or as cooking pans or as cups. Some of them were used as lamps for lightening.

Not much jewellery was found at Akrotiri and it is assumed that inhabitants must have carried their precious belongings with them when they fled the city warned by the pre-eruption signs.

On the scenes of the wall paintings it was clear that the women wore a lot of jewellery such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and anklets.

Hours of Business

• Winter: 6 November – 31 March, Wednesday – Monday from 08:30 – 15:30
• Summer: 15 April – 31 October, Wednesday – Mondays from 08:30 – 16:00
• Tuesday closed

Holidays

• Good Friday: closed
• Holy Spirit Day: closed

Tickets

• Full: €3, Reduced: €2
• Special ticket package: Full: €14, Reduced: €7

The Special ticket package is valid for archaeological sites and museums in Thera which include

• Ancient Thera,
• Akrotiri
• Archaeological Museum
• Museum of Prehistoric Thera
• Collection of Icons
• Ecclesiastical Artefacts at Pyrgos

Free admission days

• 6 March (in memory of Melina Mercouri)
• 18 April (International Monuments Day)
• 18 May (International Museums Day)
• The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
• National Holidays

Contact information

• Address: Τ.Κ. 84700, Thira (Prefecture of Kiklades)
• Coordinates: 36°25′6.6″N, 25°26′13.2″E
• Telephone: +30 22860 23217
• Fax: +30 22860 23217
• Email: efakyk@culture.gr

How To Get There?

To get to the island Santorini visitors need to take a ferry. The Museum of Prehistoric Thera is in the centre of Firas, just 85 meters from the bus station and a few meters from the Firas parking lot. It can be reached by bus or private vehicle. It is recommended to visit the museum first, before heading out to Ancient Akrotiri.