European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Above tourists visit the excavations at a Sotiri one of the most exciting. Archaeological discoveries of our time. Several of the pottery pieces at left were found at the site. Hundreds of Miles away in such places As Turkey and Egypt according to scientific evidence. Plato penned his history of the lost continent of Atlantis in 34 7 . The greek philosopher wrote about a civilization that was supposed to have vanished at least 1.000 years before he was born. Many scientists Are convinced that thie place Plato wrote about was almost certainly Santorini even though Plato sited his lost continent in the Atlantic West of Quot the pillars of Hercules Quot Gibraltar. Evidence gained from the mapping of the Ocean floor seemingly refutes any argument that Atlantis could have been in the Atlantic. Plato the thinking goes placed it there because according to what he had been told by his Grandfather who relied on ancient egyptian source Atlantis was said to have been larger than Libya and Asia. It therefore would have been implausible to accommodate such an enormous Island within the Mediterranean other than that discrepancy Plato appears to have been spot on with his descriptions of minoan civilization including its fascination with Bull Hunting archaeological evidence of which did not come to Light until this Century. To Best appreciate what happened to Santorini a visitor needs to sail into its Lagoon by ferry or cruise ship. The Lagoon formerly the pre blast Center of the Island is 37 Miles in circumference. Its Waters Are so deep that cruise ships can t Anchor there but must make themselves fast to special buoys. The Lagoon is rimmed by vertical Cliffs rising nearly 1.000 feet out of the sea. The Cliffs had been the Mere Foothills of the Volcano. Even while standing in a boat near the Lagoon s Center the mind can t comprehend the enormity of the blast that carved out this vast Crater in a single Day and night. A City probably two or three cities died in the blast Likely the greatest natural phenomenon to have taken place on this planet in the last 70,000 years. One City or a Large part of it had already been buried under an earlier blizzard of volcanic Ash on a part of the Island that was not blasted asunder. The Ash acted As a Cushion protecting the City from the explosion. No one knows what that City was called. It is now called a Sotiri and it is the site of one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries of our time. The digging Down into the cellars of time is proceeding at a Snail s Pace. In 20 years Only one City Block has been excavated. Since test digs have shown that the streets run More than half a mile away 300 years Ofak Sotiri facts a where Santorini or Tafra is 120 Miles Southeast of Piraeus the port of Athens and 70 Miles North of Crete. The Island is served by frequent ferries and planes. A what to see the excavations at a Sotiri Are open tuesday through sunday from Al . To 3 . Entrance costs about $4. A what to read first unearthing Atlantis an archaeological Odyssey by Charles Pellegrino random House 1991. A a King Cruger. S<5s photos by Michael Abrams digging May Welthie ahead at the current rate of exploration. A corrugated tin roof covers the entire excavation. The roof is vital because even the lightest rain could cause the perfectly preserved buildings to crumble the Multi storied buildings so far unearthed would not look out of place in Many modern cities. Astonishingly the Homes had running water and flush toilets. There is some evidence that bedrooms were heated in Winter by steam piped in from volcanic vents. Plumbing and other technologies emerging from the Ash Are of a complexity not seen again u until the islamic Empire of the Middle Ages. Each House had at least one room lined with frescoes some among the most magnificent Ever discovered in Greece. The frescoes Are on display in a special Section of the National archaeological museum in Athens. Quot it was the Home of a Graceful refined and Brilliant people. A civilization that seemed on the verge of great deeds and never got the Chance simply because it happened to be located in the wrong place at the wrong time Quot Pellegrino writes. Santorini according to Pellegrino and Many other scientists was the Home of the most progressive civilization the world had Ever seen. It is possible theorizes Pellegrino that had the Island not exploded the first expedition to the Moon might have ascended from there Crete or Greece before the birth of Christ. Because no Bones have been found in a Sotiri the Fate of its people remains a mystery. Since Only heavy objects and no valuable items have been found the most widely accepted theory is that everyone warned by prior eruptions and earthquakes escaped before the Island blew apart. Many of them perhaps to be killed elsewhere by the blast. June 16, ,j4 stripes Magazine 7 7