Thíra
According to tradition, the island was first settled by Phoenicians and later by Laconians under the leader Thera. In the Bronze Age, Thera came under the influence of Crete (see Minoan civilization), but a devastating volcanic eruption (c.1645
Excavations in the E Mediterranean show that ash from the ancient eruption spread over Anatolia and parts of Egypt, and that the tsunami caused by the eruption reached the shores of what is now Israel. It is theorized by some experts that the effects of the eruption were the catalyst for the collapse of Minoan civilization in the subsequent two centuries. Excavations at a Minoan site on Thíra have uncovered many well-preserved frescoes. Some controversial theories have equated ancient Thera with Atlantis.
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