Historically, the most important volcano in the Aegean is the volcano on the island of Thera. Volcanic activity dates back to the Tertiary period, while the first big eruption on the island took place at the end of the Pleistocene. From this period onwards many minor eruptions occurred, culminating in the colossal eruption at the end of the Late Minoan I period during which large parts of the island were submerged and the island was divided in three smaller ones: Thera, Thirasia and Aspronisi. The island itself today gives a good picture of the eruption. There are many parts where one can discern deposits up to 60 m high of volcanic products whereas the new imposing crater of the volcano on the island Nea Kameni is preserved intact. The violent destruction of the prehistoric settlements on Thera, which may belong to the Cycladic group but is a carrier of the Minoan civilization, is apparent in the ruins of the Akrotiri settlement. The burial of the settlement in strata of light volcanic tephra protected the ruins from natural erosion, thus preserving in a good condition the buildings which provide us with a complete picture of a Minoan town.

The ruins of the city, representing one tenth of the initial extent of the settlement, show signs of the destruction provoked by the lava in the way the buildings collapsed and in the layers of tephra and pumice in the buildings. The city seems to have been suddenly abandoned by the residents a little before the eruption. As a result, innumerable utility articles and precious vessels remained in situ.
The remains of the material civilization which were were recovered in a perfect state of preservation -both buildings and other finds- are so rich that Akrotiri is considered to be the Pompeii of the Bronze Age and constitutes an inexhaustible source of information on life in the Minoan period.