Assessment Task – Thera and the Minoans
Summary Notes
Plato & Atlantis
Plato’s references to Atlantis are found within his ‘Dialogues.’
Revealed in conversation between Greek philosophers and scientists, including Critias, who recited
an ancient unfinished poem by Egyptian priest Solon. (Atlantis would have been 9000 years before
Solon).
The Value and Limitations of Literary Ancient Texts (and/or contributions & limitations of ancient
texts)
Value
o They provide the ‘who, what, where,
when, how and why’ of an event, and
of the life of an ancient personality.
o They can reveal aspects of social,
economic, legal, political, religious and
cultural life of a society.
o Are sometimes based on the author’s
own eyewitness accounts or
experiences.
o They offer insight into an author’s
particular perspective on his own times.
o They van lead historians to other less
well-known sources.
o They reveal the way history has been
written over time (historiography)
o They provide historical context for
archaeological finds.
o They can be used to authenticate an
ancient artefact and help in the
identification of fakes.
Limitations
o They are often fragmentary or second-
hand accounts of lost originals.
o They were generally written by men
from the upper classes about things
that men controlled, such as wars and
politics.
o They tend to ignore the lives of women
or present them from a man’s point of
view.
o They often give unbalanced opinions
and unfair perspectives due to
selection of material and use of
language.
o They can be used as sources of
propaganda, some written to put
themselves in a favourable light.
o They often rely on oral sources with
self-serving motives.
o They may be based on tradition rather
than truth.
o They may include eyewitness accounts
which are subjective.
o They can be poor translations from
original manuscripts leading to
misinterpretations.
o They can lack the author’s name and
sources. (not cited)
 o They are able to be forged or corrupted

o They are often difficult to read because

of handwriting or due to unfamiliar
words and phrases that have changed
over time.

o They often reflect an overactive

imagination.

The ‘Reliability’ of a Source

o Reference to ACCURACY, CREDIBILITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS

o Necessary for a full representation of a society, person, event, etc.
o Reliability can often be threatened as humans are inherently flawed due to possible bias, a
personal agenda and memory.

Factors that enhance/detract from the reliability of a source:

o Proximity to the event described

PHYSICAL PROXIMITY (geographical) – can be unreliable
TEMPORAL COMTEXT (time frame) – could influence personal bias
o Personal Bias
Can be positive or negative
Can be impacted by culture, education, gender, socioeconomic status, experiences, age
 influence PERSONAL CONTEXT
o Corroborating Evidence
Are there other sources that indicate the same thing?
o Motive or incentive
Is there a purpose or motive for the creation of the source?

Atlantis is described as a utopian society located within the Strait of Gibraltar (then known as the
pillars of Hercules) who are pacifist, virtuous, worshipping, however abandoned their ways and were
destroyed (sunk) by Poseidon.
Introduction to Thera
Thera as Atlantis:

Thera is not as big as Plato had described, nor is it outside the Pillars of Hercules, however it was
subject to a catastrophic volcanic eruption in 1550 BC, making it a feasible candidate.

Volcanic Eruptions
The Volcanic Explosivity Index – VEI. Thera’s eruption has been categorised as a 6, possibly a 7.

Plinian eruption – catastrophic nature. Produced a caldera (crater).

The Theran Eruption

If you don’t have a definite date of an event in Ancient History, there are two types of dating you can
use (called relative dating):

Archaeological Dating: Using physical evidence / artefacts to cine up with a relative (vague) date.

Scientific Dating: Carbondating, dendocronology (tree rings).

The results referring to the date of the Theran Eruption according to archaeologists and scientists
are constantly contradicting each other.

Generally, the Theran eruption is dated:

 Archaeological: 1500 BC (excavations & comparisons of artefacts)

 Scientific: 1650 BC (various scientific methods)

Determining the Size and Power of the Eruption

Science and Archaeology have both contributed largely to our understanding of the impact, size,
power, and dating of the eruption on Thera. Due to these studies and methods of analysis where the
Theran eruption was previously considered to have a VEI of 6, it is suggested that it perhaps was in
fact a 7.

The sheer volume of ash deposits around the cliff faces of Santorini demonstrate that the volcanic
eruption was very powerful. 33-foot wall of ash – shows the “layers of destruction”. Layers of
deposits of pumice and debris from pyroclastic flow.

Theran ash was found 500 miles away in the Black Sea and in places such as Egypt and Israel. This
deposit of ash around the region demonstrates the sheer power of the volcano, and that the scale of
it was much larger than previously suggested.

Theory Regarding the Destruction of Minoan Civilisation on Crete (tsunami)

It has been suggested that this Theran Eruption could be responsible for the destruction of Minoan
society on the island of Crete, in that the volcanic activity caused a tsunami that wiped out the
civilisation. Evidence:

Erosion on the coast of Crete (in Palaikastro) reveals sediment containing layers of unusual soils:
they found gravel deposits, volcanic ash, pottery, marine organisms, coral, algae, wall plaster, and
building materials.
Evidence of tsunami destruction found all along the coast of Crete, 30 miles apart, as well as
evidence inland (marine organisms). This gives an insight into the size (specifically length) of the
tsunami.

Carbondating revealed that the tsunami occurred in 1600 BC – same date as the Theran eruption.

Compared it to the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, Thailand and India to demonstrate the impact and
course of the tsunami.

Evidence found of destruction to residential areas: sides of walls still standing, odd destruction,
parallels drawn to modern tsunami damage.

Theran pumice deposits on Crete that could have only been carried by water.

Theran Society
Frescoes

Direct Evidence  what the frescoes prove about Theran society.

Circumstantial Evidence  what the frescoes infer about Theran society.

Direct Evidence Circumstantial Evidence

o Therans had access to coloured paint.
o Some people had the means and ability
to create artwork.
o Buildings were adorned with artworks
and frescoes.
o Boxing Boys – they may have engaged
in physical combat.
o The Young Priestess – some people
dressed elaborately, inferring that
there was a social hierarchy, a
concentration of power.

o Blue Monkeys – they had an avid

interest in wildlife.

o Therans had access to other countries

and were able to witness the flora and
fauna of places. They were possibly a
travelling people.

o There was a level of wealth – either

spread throughout society or
concentrated in a class system.

o There was value placed on flora and

fauna and the natural world.

o It was perhaps not an overtly

patriarchal society.

o Ordinary people were depicted, not

encompassing idolisation of people in
power.
We cannot know the motivation of the artist – our interpretation is subjective, therefore resulting in
what is only circumstantial evidence. Written evidence is more direct, however Thera only provides
physical archaeological sources without corroborating written sources, meaning that the sources are
often subjective, circumstantial, and speculative.

Ancient historians like to ascribe a meaning to sources, which could be imposing a modern context.
The dilemma of only having visual sources and physical sources is that they are open to
interpretation, which results in circumstantial evidence being speculated upon and forming plausible
theories.

E.g. Nanno Marinatos: believes that all frescoes at Akrotiri have some kind of ritualistic or religious
connotations, rather than simply for aesthetic purposes.

The Value and Limitations of Theran frescoes for Investigating Theran society:

Value
o There is a large variety, showing many
aspects of their daily lives. E.g.
architecture, ship-building, flora &
fauna.
o The frescoes and objects in the room
were discovered in-Situ, meaning that
we can draw evidence from the context
of the room. E.g. Nanno Marinatos,
ritualistic or religious interpretations.
o They are some of the only recorded
sources available.
Limitations
o Could have been damaged over time,
as a result replacement artwork could
be inaccurate (fill-ins).
o Archaeologists could impose a modern
context on the frescoes, resulting in a
modern interpretation (no correlating
written sources, archaeologists could
ascribe meaning).
o Written sources offer more direct
evidence. Thera only has archaeological
and physical evidence, which can be
subjective and circumstantial.

Making a Judgement (e.g. the value of Theran frescoes)

To a large extent, to a great extent, to a significant extent, to a moderate extent, to a modest extent,
to a partial extent, to a limited extent, to a small extent.

Akrotiri – Preservation, Conservation & Reconstruction

Four factors that threaten the site of Akrotiri:

o Tourism – (human agency) the impact of large numbers, carelessness, souveniring, illicit
photography.
o Weathering and Erosion – (environmental agency) effects of wind, water or rain, sand, heat
or cold.
o Walls built of stones, clay mixed with broken straw and timber have lost their structural
integrity due to the decomposition of organic matter.
o Seismic Activity – earthquakes have caused architectural elements to shift from their original
context.
The Conservation Efforts at Akrotiri:

o Many various conservation techniques used by scientists and archaeologists at the site of
Akrotiri, encompassing restoration, reconstruction, re-creation and replication.
o Preserving the exposed site has included:
 closing off areas that would otherwise be accessible to tourists
 using scaffolding to strengthen and support crumbling structures
 using glass or plastic coverings to protect features of structures.
o Archaeologists have also equipped the use of modern sophisticated conservational
technologies, including satellite imagery, radiography, computerised image analysis,
computer tomography and infrared photography to utilise digital reconstruction as a
restorative technique.

International contribution to the preservation of Akrotiri:

o Kapersky Lab – Athens, Greece. Excavations.

o Vienna, Austria – coupling with National Geographic to generate a digital model of Akrotiri’s
architecture.

Minoan Society – Religion

(have a look at the leisure booklet) – Bull Riding

The Nature of Minoan Religion – The Study of the Agia Triada Sarcophagus

The Agia Triada Sarcophagus is an early Bronze Age 137 cm long limestone sarcophagus. It was
originally dated to 1400 BC and was rediscovered in Agia Triada on Crete in 1903. It provides possibly
the most comprehensive iconography of a pre-Homeric ceremony and one of the best pieces of
information on noble burial customs when Crete was under Mycanean rule, combining features of
Minoan and Mycanean style and subject matter. The sarcophagus is on display in the Keraklion
Archaeological Museum.

Notes:

o During time of Mycanean domination  representational of the blend of the two cultures.
o Is a pictorial representation of a religious ceremony to honour the deceased individual.
Involves:
 Libation – pouring
Pottery vessels and water recepticals are depiected.
 Sacrificial offerings
Illustrated are dogs, goats and a subdued (trussed) bull.
 Musical accompaniment
Features a lyre and horn.
o Women and men were likely both active participants in religious rituals.
o Other characteristics – horns of consecration, two-headed axe.