as government buildings were also used as religious centers. So it’s likely that religious leaders may have played an important role in their government.”
Mark shook his head. “Some things never change—even in America, the words ‘under God’ were added to our Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. It seems religion and government are rarely truly separate.
“What about the language used in Akrotiri?” Mark added.
“We believe they used the same language here as in Crete. Unfortunately, the written Minoan language has never been deciphered.”
Looking around, Mark asked, “Is it okay if I look at some of the dust in the ruins?”
“Sure. Just don’t take any with you. Everything here is protected.”
“Even the dust?”
“Yes , sorry.”
Mark laughed. “No pro blem, I’ll just take a sample from my boots later.”
He then touched his finger to the dust on the floor and pulled a hand lens out of his shirt pocket to study it more closely. Through the powerful lens he saw the familiar glass shards. He was becoming confident that he could recognize the Thera ash by visual observation, but his trace element fingerprint analysis was needed to be certain.
“ What are you doing?” Alexia asked curiously.
He showed Alexia the view through the hand lens and explained about the ash and the shards. Then he told her about the trace element signature he had discovered. “It can be used to fingerprint Thera ash wherever it is found throughout the world.”
“ That’s great! That should help to unravel some of the mysteries associated with the Thera eruption,” Alexia said, handing back the lens.
Checking her watch, she asked, “Are you ready for a lunch break?”
“If you are.”
“I’m ready and I know ju st the place.”
Driving to a nearby restaurant, The Cave of Nikolas, Mark followed Alexia’s lead and ordered the fish. It came with local produce and was delicious. Following their meal, they returned to Akrotiri.
They spent the rest of the day exploring the ruins, with Alexia giving her interpretations of what they were seeing. She showed him the most recent excavations, where she was currently working. Mark was captivated by what he learned. This was just what he needed as a foundation for his work this summer—a critical introduction and overview of the archeological points of interest in the area and how they related to the Thera eruption. Tomorrow he could finally begin studying the rest of the island with a focus on geology, collecting ash without restriction.
F ull of high hopes, he could almost forget what he had left behind in Florida. Almost was the operable word, for the events in Tallahassee still weighed heavily on his mind.
Chapter Six
If the quantity of carbonic acid (CO 2 ) increases in geometric progression, the augmentation of the temperature will increase nearly in arithmetic progression.
— Svante Arrhenius
Tallahassee, June 1998
Originally from New York City, Detective Carter spent ten years working mainly burglaries and homicides with the NYC Police Department. Tired of the damp, cold winters, he applied for and was accepted into his current job. Getting shot in the left shoulder during a routine domestic disturbance call also may have contributed to his decision to leave. After the shooting, his shoulder ached whenever the temperatures dropped. His shoulder bothered him much less in Tallahassee.
His present job was a complete change from what he was used to back in New York, but he quickly grew accustomed to the slower pace in Tallahassee. Even with his very noticeable New York accent, he was accepted and seemed to fit in. Since being in Tallahassee, he had not had to dodge any bullets, which was a plus.
He was good at what he did —investigating. It was not uncommon for his southern colleagues to give him a backhanded compliment by saying, “Carter, you’re not half bad for a Yankee.”
His standard tongue-in-cheek reply to this Civil War era
Mark shook his head. “Some things never change—even in America, the words ‘under God’ were added to our Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. It seems religion and government are rarely truly separate.
“What about the language used in Akrotiri?” Mark added.
“We believe they used the same language here as in Crete. Unfortunately, the written Minoan language has never been deciphered.”
Looking around, Mark asked, “Is it okay if I look at some of the dust in the ruins?”
“Sure. Just don’t take any with you. Everything here is protected.”
“Even the dust?”
“Yes , sorry.”
Mark laughed. “No pro blem, I’ll just take a sample from my boots later.”
He then touched his finger to the dust on the floor and pulled a hand lens out of his shirt pocket to study it more closely. Through the powerful lens he saw the familiar glass shards. He was becoming confident that he could recognize the Thera ash by visual observation, but his trace element fingerprint analysis was needed to be certain.
“ What are you doing?” Alexia asked curiously.
He showed Alexia the view through the hand lens and explained about the ash and the shards. Then he told her about the trace element signature he had discovered. “It can be used to fingerprint Thera ash wherever it is found throughout the world.”
“ That’s great! That should help to unravel some of the mysteries associated with the Thera eruption,” Alexia said, handing back the lens.
Checking her watch, she asked, “Are you ready for a lunch break?”
“If you are.”
“I’m ready and I know ju st the place.”
Driving to a nearby restaurant, The Cave of Nikolas, Mark followed Alexia’s lead and ordered the fish. It came with local produce and was delicious. Following their meal, they returned to Akrotiri.
They spent the rest of the day exploring the ruins, with Alexia giving her interpretations of what they were seeing. She showed him the most recent excavations, where she was currently working. Mark was captivated by what he learned. This was just what he needed as a foundation for his work this summer—a critical introduction and overview of the archeological points of interest in the area and how they related to the Thera eruption. Tomorrow he could finally begin studying the rest of the island with a focus on geology, collecting ash without restriction.
F ull of high hopes, he could almost forget what he had left behind in Florida. Almost was the operable word, for the events in Tallahassee still weighed heavily on his mind.
Chapter Six
If the quantity of carbonic acid (CO 2 ) increases in geometric progression, the augmentation of the temperature will increase nearly in arithmetic progression.
— Svante Arrhenius
Tallahassee, June 1998
Originally from New York City, Detective Carter spent ten years working mainly burglaries and homicides with the NYC Police Department. Tired of the damp, cold winters, he applied for and was accepted into his current job. Getting shot in the left shoulder during a routine domestic disturbance call also may have contributed to his decision to leave. After the shooting, his shoulder ached whenever the temperatures dropped. His shoulder bothered him much less in Tallahassee.
His present job was a complete change from what he was used to back in New York, but he quickly grew accustomed to the slower pace in Tallahassee. Even with his very noticeable New York accent, he was accepted and seemed to fit in. Since being in Tallahassee, he had not had to dodge any bullets, which was a plus.
He was good at what he did —investigating. It was not uncommon for his southern colleagues to give him a backhanded compliment by saying, “Carter, you’re not half bad for a Yankee.”
His standard tongue-in-cheek reply to this Civil War era
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