The Volcano That Changed The World by James W. Mercer

preceded the volcanic eruption by about a year. This was likely followed by additional earthquakes.”
    “I read that, but what’s the evidence? Is it something we can see here?” Mark asked.
    “Yes. Follow me.”
    They passed through one of the buildings and on the outside Alexia showed him a staircase, which was split in half, with one half displaced from the other by several centimeters. “The earthquake or quakes were very destructive. We estimate a growing season or about year passed between the earthquake that caused these steps to break and the volcanic eruption. Seeds deposited on the ruins of the earthquake-shattered houses had begun to germinate when the first ash fell, preserving the seedlings.”
    Mark examined the area closely. There he could see ash casts of seedlings that had begun to grow out of the cracks in the staircase, which had been broken and displaced by the earlier earthquake.
    As he studied the seedlings , Alexia continued. “There also are no skeletons of humans or domesticated animals found in the ruins—nothing like the ash casts of bodies found at Pompeii. This leads us to believe that a prior disaster—such as an earthquake—had forced the inhabitants to flee their homes before the volcano erupted and the ash began falling.”
    “Similarly ,” added Alexia, “no jewelry or small tools have been found—those too must have been removed from the houses prior to the ash fall. So the earthquake or quakes served as an early-warning system prior to the eruption.”
    Mark interrupted, “ I agree. Something terrible must have happened to drive all these people from their homes. I guess they were lucky. The victims of Pompeii didn’t have that fortune.”
    “Yes,” agreed Alexia. “Unfortunately, the Akrotirians likely relocated to Crete and were impacted by the Thera eruption there. Once ash began falling here, the earthquake-damaged structures were filled in and preserved until my father’s excavation began.”
                  “That reminds me,” Mark said, “did your father find enough here to convince his detractors—the ones who didn’t believe his theory—that Minoan Crete was destroyed by a volcanic eruption?”
    “Yes,” Alexia said enthusiastically. Then she added, “Well, generally, yes. My father had established the connection with Crete that he sought.”
    Sweeping her arm across the building in front of them, she continued. “As you can see, the intact walls here include whole frescoes, pottery, and furniture, enough information to piece together a picture of Akrotiri society. Although the settlement had been built centuries before, by the time of the Thera eruption, it had become Minoanized. And my father had the artifacts to prove it. Both locations had been destroyed at the same time and by the same event—the Thera eruption.”
    Considering the broader destruction around the Mediterranean Sea, Mark added, “The explosive event also created huge waves or a tsunami, which hit coastal sites in Crete and elsewhere. As your father later suggested, the tsunami actually caused more damage than the eruption itself.”
    “Yes,” agreed Alexia. “The tsunami undoubtedly destroyed the powerful Minoan fleet. But also hot ash may have burned crops and grasslands, making it difficult for animals to feed. Certainly, the climate change that followed the eruption impacted harvests for several years. Crete’s economy, which depended on shipping trade, collapsed.”
    After a moment of silence, Mark changed directions, “What about their religion? I know a little about the religion practiced on Crete. Was the religion here similar?”
    “ It was similar. What was a religion to them, we now consider myth because we no longer believe their gods and stories to represent ‘truth,’” Alexia mused.
    Mark added, “The same could be said for some of today’s religions.”
    “T hat’s true,” Alexia agreed. “If you want to learn about the Akrotiri religion,