Thera is the ancient name for both the island of Santorini in the Greek Cyclades and the name of the volcano which famously erupted on the island in the middle Bronze Age. The 17th century BCE eruption covered Akrotiri, the most important settlement, in a layer of pumice and volcanic ash, thereby perfectly preserving the Bronze Age town.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 4500 BCEFirst settlement on Thera.
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3000 BCE - 2000 BCEFirst rock-cut burial chambers at Akrotiri.
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c. 2000 BCEAkrotiri becomes an important Aegean trading centre.
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2000 BCE - 1650 BCEAkrotiri on Thera reaches its peak of prosperity and becomes a flourishing Mediterranean trading centre.
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1650 BCE - 1550 BCEKnossos survives Thera eruption.
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1650 BCE - 1550 BCEEruption of Thera and consequent tidal waves, destruction of Akrotiri and other Aegean centres.
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631 BCEGreek colonists from the island of Thera found the city of Cyrene in North Africa.
