The prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini is one of the most important sites in the Aegean. In prehistory it was a well connected Minoan port town, with connections to mainland Greece and as far afield as Egypt and Syria. As the town was covered in ash following a volcanic eruption on the island, in the late 17th century BC, preservation of the settlement is exceptional, making this one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece. Today the site is covered by a bioclimatic roof and walkways are suspended above the archaeological remains, that allows visitors to walk among the two and three-storey buildings. The settlement has a number of notable features: it had an elaborate drainage system, and was made up of sophisticated multi-storey buildings that were decorated with exquisite wall-paintings. The quality and quantity of the furniture and ceramic vessels are evidence of the town’s prosperity. The earliest excavations on Santorini were conducted by French geologist F. Fouque in 1867, after some local people found old artifacts at a quarry. Extensive modern excavation was started in 1967 by Spyridon Marinatos and revealed the full value of this site.(wikipedia)