Storiascopio · Era 4 of 12 · primary year 4
The eruption of Thera
about 1600 BC · Thera, now Santorini (Greece)
In short
The island of Thera, today's Santorini, was shattered by one of the largest volcanic eruptions of the last ten thousand years. The centre of the island collapsed and the sea filled the huge hollow, the caldera, that can still be seen today. Ash buried the town of Akrotiri, which had already been abandoned: its people had managed to escape in time. Under the ash, two-storey houses with splendid frescoes have been preserved.
Why it matters Akrotiri is a kind of Bronze Age Pompeii, a town frozen in time.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Thera”
Where we are in the era “Sea civilisations”
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about 2000 BCEvent 4 of 25about 500 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-eruption-of-thera/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class