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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2000; v. 171; p. 71-80;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2000.171.01.07
© 2000 Geological Society of London

Santorini (Greece) before the Minoan eruption: a reconstruction of the ring-island, natural resources and clay deposits from the Akrotiri excavation

Walter L. Friedrich, Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz & Ole Bjørslev Nielsen

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Århus C, Denmark

Before the catastrophic eruption around 1640 BC, Thera, Therasia and Aspronisi formed a ring-shaped island with a sea-flooded caldera in the middle. The so-called Pre-Kameni Island was situated in the centre of the caldera. This reconstruction is based on the study of stromatolites found in eruption products as well as other geological observations. The location of pre-eruption settlements or sites on the present rim of the Santorini caldera seems to support this reconstruction. Many of the rocks and minerals used in the Bronze Age culture are of local origin. Foraminiferal and mineralogical studies enable us to trace the source areas of a clay deposit found in a grave chamber in the Akrotiri excavation. This clay can be used for pottery making. The foraminiferal and mineralogical studies also help identify the natural drainage system and thus the freshwater supply, which may have been an important factor deciding the location of the Bronze Age settlement.