Reply #8: This is an old theory. What's new is that scientists can compare debris deposits

[bklyncowgirl]

With the 2004 tsunami, scientists have undisturbed debris deposits from the to study and compare with debris deposits found in Crete. Apparently the similarities are striking. This has added considerable strength to the theory. There are some questions about the dating of the Santorini eruption--tree ring dating places it a few hundred years earlier than most archaeologists believe--but I doubt if anyone can nail these dates exactly. Archaeological and historical records show the Minoans active in Egypt until around 1500BC disappearing for some years until the reign of Queen Hatshepsut (around 1450 BC).

I've traveled in Crete and most of their ancient cities were on bays on the northern coast. They had no defensive walls. Most of the palaces were just a few feet above sea level. The exceptions were Knossos which lies a few miles inland and Phaistos which commands a cliff top view on the southern part of the island near Matala. Phaistos and Knossos both suffered severe earthquake and fire damage at the time. Part of the Phaistos palace fell off the cliff. Knossos was rebuilt and eventually flourished for some years but this incredibly graceful and promising civilization was irreperably damaged and eventually taken over by Mycenean Greeks from the mainland.

It's a great theory and I'm thrilled to see new evidence supporting it.