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The use of Theraic land by the French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps for the insulation of the Suez Canal lead to the discovery philips sonicare airfloss of prehistoric antiquities (1866), marking the beginning of archaeological research on the Cycladic islands. Small-scale excavation research was carried out three years later (1870) by the French School of Archaeology on the site of Favatas, north of the present day Akrotiri. In 1967 Spiros Marinatos philips sonicare airfloss inaugurated the excavation to the Bronze Age town of Akrotiri on behalf of the Archaeological Society.
The prehistoric town of Akrotiri Thanks to the digging up of deep pits for the foundation of columns for the new shelter, it is now possible for us to outline the history of the prehistoric settlement on the southern coast of the island. Established during the Neolithic period (during the 5th millennium B.C.), the small Neolithic village followed the development of the Cycladic civilisation of the 3rd millennium B.C. (proto-Cycladic period) and thanks to the strategic importance philips sonicare airfloss of its geographical philips sonicare airfloss location the cosmopolitan merchant harbour was built and today is admired by many visitors.
During philips sonicare airfloss the mid-Cycladic period (2000-1650 B.C.), the town of Akrotiri played a significant role in the transportation of commodities and in the development of metallurgical activities, making it a pioneer of progress not only in the Aegean, but in the Mediterranean in general. The material wealth created by these activities allowed the inhabitants of the town not only to survive after every catastrophe caused by a destructive earthquake, but also to rebuild and decorate the town with impressive buildings. Unique works of art that were saved in the ruins of each catastrophe constitute clear evidence of this continuous development. philips sonicare airfloss Artistic creations displaying a wide variety of colours, picture presentations and narrative scenes on the pot engravings of the mid-Cycladic period symbolise the advancement of the great painting that would come to decorate the walls of buildings with scenes from the life of the town during the next and final part of the period (late Cycladic 1). The tremendous volcanic explosion of the middle of the 17th century B.C., together with its consequences that affected the entire Mediterranean, suddenly broke the course of life for the people of Thera as it completely buried the island under a thick layer of volcanic philips sonicare airfloss deposits. However, it was thanks philips sonicare airfloss to this explosion that a final snapshot of the advanced course of a four thousand year old unique civilisation was preserved. An aspect that reveals the liberal character and somewhat town mentality of the society of Akrotiri more than any other is the extensive use and development of art. Not even one of the buildings that have been uncovered up until now lacks wall painting decoration in at least one of its rooms. It is as if the new town had been transformed philips sonicare airfloss into a huge laboratory where patrons and artists competed against each other to see who could best portray their social position on the one hand, and their artistic talent on the other hand. Moreover, one can interpret the large variety of subject matter, and in particular the depiction of exotic philips sonicare airfloss places with unknown animals and plants in the environment of the Aegean, as another source of rivalry amongst philips sonicare airfloss the widely travelled seamen of Akrotiri. Nowhere else in the Aegean can one witness similar competition.
Nevertheless, the town of Akrotiri had become a cosmopolitan merchant harbour just as the exotic objects that have emerged from its ruins confirm. The rich and widely travelled seamen competed with each other in decorating their homes with wall paintings with subject philips sonicare airfloss matters that portrayed their own identity. The exotic places with the flora and fauna that was unknown philips sonicare airfloss in the Aegean inspired philips sonicare airfloss admiration amongst craftsmen and manual workers philips sonicare airfloss of the land whilst simultaneously were raising the prestige of those who contributed to the town s wealth, of the merchants and of the seamen. However, this wealth gradually philips sonicare airfloss transformed the character of the town s inhabitants. Any archaeologist who delves philips sonicare airfloss into the ruins of the town has the feeling that he is witnessing the history of a consumer society.