Akrotiri and Atlantis Museum
Aρχαιολογικός περιπέτειες! Archaeological Adventures!
A volcanic eruption 40,000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb. A tsunami 150 meters high. An ancient civilization destroyed. An advanced and utopian city lost?
These are the topics that we have experienced first-hand today! If this is not experiential learning, we do not know what is!
This morning, our classes travelled across Santorini to the archaeological site of Akrotiri. Our teachers have been extremely pumped for this day for some time, to be able to take our students to such an important place in Mediterranean history!
Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan city that was left in ruins by the Thera eruption circa 1600 BCE. The city was covered in ash, lava, and volcanic rock, and was preserved through the millennia through this eruption. As such, it is a primary source of knowledge about the Minoan civilization, and one of the most significant archaeological findings in European history!
Guided by our tour guide Chara, the archaeological site was a powerful experience that provoked thought about gender roles, ancient technologies, and the fate of the city’s inhabitants. This was a very special experience of our first major archaeological site! Our students were intrigued and mind-boggled by the experience, and were absolute troopers to go on the tour in the hot Greek sun. More archaeological sites to follow in Crete and Athens.
After the site tour, the students travelled to the Lost Atlantis Experience museum. The museum operates on the theory that ‘Atlantis’ as made infamous in Plato’s ‘The Republic’ was in fact located on the caldera of Santorini! An incredibly fascinating possibility!
The museum was a highly interactive experience, combining history, hands-on learning, and a 9D simulation that taught the students about the Akrotiri disaster and the subsequent tsunami that wiped out the Minoan civilizaiton on Crete. An all around educational and fantastic day!
After the museum, students had classes and some free time to prepare for the transfer to Crete tomorrow!
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-Harrison R., Activity Coordinator
