Akrotiri, Thera: An Architecture of Affluence 3,500 Years Old Book

It was long felt that an English edition on the architecture of Akrotiri, dealing not only with the building technology, but also with issues of typology, form, and function, would be welcomed. The present book is, thus, an attempt to provide the reader with an overall picture of the architecture of Akrotiri, including an outline of its town plan, a description of the individual houses, and a discussion of its relationship with Crete and its neighbors in the Eastern Mediterranean. The book is based on the author's personal observations and experience obtained over a fifteen year period (1977-1992) of work at the site as the architect of the Akrotiri excavation. This book is confined to the last phase of habitation and the uniquely preserved houses that are seen today. Contents: 1. The Volcanic Fate of Thera; 2. The Archaeologist: An Unexpected Visitor 3,500 Years Later; 3. The Settlement Pattern of Thera During the 2nd Millennium B.C.; 4. The Akrotiri Region: Landscape Past and Present; 5. The Town; 6. The Buildings; 7. A Guided Tour through the Town; 8. A Synopsis of The Theran House Model; 9. The Art of Building: Materials and Techniques; 10. Design and Morphology; 11. Reconciling with the Wrath of Engelados; 12. Thera and Her Neighbors in a Time of Opulence.Clairy Palyvou is a Professor at the Department of Architecture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.