The artifacts of Thera are hundreds of thousands of years old, but they look as if they were born today. Olive tree leaves and ancient statuettes were created at a time when the myths and legends of ancient Greece were created. All these unusual items are concentrated in the Museum of Prehistoric Times of the capital of Santorini.
The masterpieces of the museum are a statue from the 17th century B.C. and the leaves of an olive tree that are over 60,000 years old. There are also the most interesting finds from the excavations of Akrotiri, the legendary city that repeated the fate of Italian Pompeii.
Akrotiri's antiquities tell us how this ancient Greek city lived, how it traded with the world, and how its inhabitants imagined the world around them.
The magnificent paintings are represented by the wall paintings. In addition to traditional patterns and scenes from everyday life, they depict beautiful ornaments, drawings of birds, flowers, reflect African motifs.
Magnificent ceramics dating back to tens of thousands of years BC, made in Akrotiri or brought from the most remote corners of the Hellenistic world. All these exhibits from Akrotitri, including a diagram of the city-state, are on display in the museum.
A curious detail: during the excavations at Akrotiri, almost no jewelry was found. Archaeologists believe this was due to the gradual evacuation of the city, from which all the most valuable items were taken.
The inhabitants of Akrotiri were men and wore no jewelry. Only women could boast of magnificent necklaces, earrings and bracelets handmade by ancient jewelers. The wall paintings of the ghost town testify to this.
In addition to local finds, the museum presents the most curious artifacts of the prehistoric period found all over the island.
Archaeologists have found evidence that the first permanent settlers of the island were Cretans. Discovered during excavations in the last century, the ancient artifacts are presented in the exposition of the museum, which tells about the Neolithic times. They began to build new towns and develop a civilization, much like the ancient civilization of Crete.
In the 17th century B.C. there was a volcanic eruption, which gradually began to form the modern features of Santorini. This is when the Cretan (Minoan) civilization began to decline. However, the island, inhabited by man, was never deserted. Other Greek colonizers from the neighboring islands and "Greater Greece" began to inhabit it.
The price of the ticket for an adult is 3 euros. If you buy a special ticket for all museum attractions in Santorini, which costs 14 euros, you can also visit this museum.
On certain days, the museum accepts free visitors: March 6, April 18, May 18, the last Sunday of September and the Greek national holidays - May 19, October 28 and November 17.
At reduced prices - 2 euros - tickets can be purchased by:
Teachers to accompany schoolchildren, employees of museums and other organizations engaged in the protection of monuments can visit the museum completely free of charge, if these organizations have the appropriate certification. Among the categories that are entitled to free entrance to the museum - children under 18 years of age.
The museum works according to a different schedule in summer and in winter:
It takes 50 minutes to get by car from Santorini Airport. The museum is located in the center of the city, on Mitropoleos Street, next to the cathedral. The museum is very convenient for tourists - near the bus station and the cab rank and car rental.
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