Ancient Apocalypse ~ The Minoans

 

Today on Far Future Horizons we explore the possibility that the disappearance of the Minoan civilization may be very well linked to the major cataclysmic disaster that destroyed the island of Thera (Santorini) which in turn inspired Plato’s tale of the sad fate of the island civilization of Atlantis.

Three and a half thousand years ago, the tiny Aegean island of Thera was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters since the Ice Age – a huge volcanic eruption.

This cataclysm happened one hundred kilometers from the island of Crete, the home of the thriving Minoan civilization. Fifty years after the eruption, that civilization was in ruins. Did the volcano deliver a death blow to the Minoans? It’s a whodunnit that has haunted historians and scientists for decades.

The Minotaur's Island

Today on Far Future Horizons we join historian Bettany Hughes as she follows the footsteps of Arthur Evans, Harriet Boyd, and other famed archaeologists to find startling new insights into the myth of the Minotaur's Island and the Minoan civilization that flourished there.

How did this ancient people live, worship, and prosper? Why did they build such magnificent palaces, complete with hinged doors, flush toilets, and elaborate warrens of rooms? What role did the daring, acrobatic bull-leapers play in society? And did the civilization finally succumb to natural disasters, foreign invaders, or religious strife? Fresh evidence excavated from sites all over Crete offers tantalizing clues to the everyday life, and tragic destiny, of the accomplished artisans and architects who lived at the crossroads of the ancient world.