Spyridon Marinatos

Spyridon Marinatos

Infobox_Scientist
name = Spyridon Marinatos


caption =
birth_date = birth date|1901|11|4|mf=y
birth_place = Kefalonia, Greece
death_date = death date and age|1974|10|1|1901|11|4|mf=y
death_place = Santorini, Greece
residence = Athens
nationality = flag|Greece
field = Archaeology
known_for = Santorini excavation and his theory on the Volcanic Destruction of Minoan Crete

Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos (Greek: "polytonic|Σπυρίδων Νικολάου Μαρινᾶτος", November 4, 1901 – October 1, 1974) was one of the premier Greek archaeologists of the 20th century. Marinatos began his career in Crete as director of the Herakelion museum in 1929 where he met Sir Arthur Evans. He conducted several excavations on Crete at Dreros, Arkalochori, Vathypetro and Gazi, all of which resulted in spectacular finds. In 1937 he became director of the Antiquities service in Greece for the first time. Shortly afterwards, he became professor at the University of Athens. He turned his attention to the Myceaneans next, regarding them as the first Greeks. He excavated many Mycenaean sites in the Peloponnese, including an unplundered royal tomb at Routsi, near Pylos. He also dug at Thermopylae and Marathon uncovering the sites where the famous battles had occurred.

His most notable discovery was the site of Akrotiri, a Minoan port city on the island of Thera. The city was destroyed by a massive eruption which buried it under ashes and pumice. The tsunamis created by the eruption destroyed coastal settlements on Crete as well. This event is linked by popular writers and the media to the myth of Atlantis. Marinatos began excavations in 1967 and died at the site in 1974, after suffering a massive stroke.

He was director-general of antiquities for the Greek Ministry of Culture during the autocratic rule of the colonels. The acquaintance he cultivated with the colonels who were in power in Greece, especially the widely-despised Georgios Papadopoulos, was ideologically based. Marinatos was committed to a vision of a well-ordered patriotic country, which he hoped the regime would build. His political affiliation created controversy among his academic peers.

His "Crete and Mycenae" was originally published in German in 1960. ["Kreta und das Mykenische Hellas ( Spyridon Marinatos, 1960] His most important article was about "the volcanic destruction of Minoan Crete" [Antiquity 1939] . His excavations at Thera have been published in six slender volumes (1968-74). "Life and Art in Prehistoric Thera" was one of his last publications in 1972. ["Proceedings of the British Academy", vol. 57 (1972)] .

His name is mentioned in the video game "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis", which also features a plot involving Thera and the legendary underwater lost city.

Archaeological sites

Marinatos was responsible for excavations at:
* Akrotiri (Santorini), Thera
* Amnisos
* Vathypetro

See also

* National Archaeological Museum of Athens

Notes

External links

* [http://www.travel-to-santorini.com/place.php?place_id=40 Archaeological site of Akrotiri Thera] :

Persondata
NAME= Marinatos, Spyridon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Greek archaeologist
DATE OF BIRTH= November 4, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH= Paliki, Greece
DATE OF DEATH= October 1, 1974
PLACE OF DEATH= Santorini, Greece


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  • Spyridon Marinatos — Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos (grec: Σπυρίδων Νικολάου Μαρινᾶτος), né à Lixouri le 4 novembre 1901 et mort à Akrotiri (Santorin) le 1er octobre 1974, fut un des premiers archéologues grecs du XXe siècle. Sommaire 1 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Spyridon Marinatos — Das Grab von Spyridon Marinatos an der Ausgrabungsstätte von Akrotiri auf der Insel Santorin Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos (griech. Σπυρίδων Νικολάου Μαρινᾶτος; * 4. November 1901 in Lixouri; † 1. Oktober 1974 auf …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Marinatos — Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos (griech. Σπυρίδων Νικολάου Μαρινᾶτος; * 4. November 1901 in Lixouri; † 1. Oktober 1974 auf Santorin) war einer der bedeutendsten griechischen Klassischen Archäologen des 20. Jahrhunderts. 1970 war Marinatos Präsident… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Spyridon — (Greek: Σπυρίδων) is a Greek male given name. As with most Greek names nowadays, it is shortened to Σπύρος (Spyros, often Anglicised as Spyro or Spiro) since Spyridon sounds too archaic and ecclesiastical. The name s origins are traced to Latin… …   Wikipedia

  • Marinatos, Spyridon — ▪ Greek archaeologist in full  Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos   born Nov. 4, 1901, Lixoúrion, Greece died Oct. 1, 1974, Thera       Greek archaeologist whose most notable discovery was the site of an ancient port city on the island of Thera, in the… …   Universalium

  • Marinatos — Marinạtos,   Spyridon, griechischer Archäologe, * Lixuri (auf Kephallenia) 4. 11. 1901, ✝ (Unfall) Thera 1. 10. 1974; Direktor des Archäologieen Museums in Heraklion, 1939 Professor in Athen, 1956 Direktor des griechischen Antikendienstes und… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Akrotiri (Santorini) — Akrotiri (griechisch Ακρωτήρι (n. sg.)) ist eine archäologische Ausgrabungsstätte im Süden der griechischen Insel Santorin (gr. auch Thira; agr. Thēra). Im Jahr 1967 entdeckte der Archäologe Spyridon Marinatos eine Stadt der Kykladenkultur mit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Akrotiri (Santorin) — Akrotiri (griechisch Ακρωτήρι (n. sg.)) ist eine archäologische Ausgrabungsstätte im Süden der griechischen Insel Santorin (gr. auch Thira; agr. Thēra). Im Jahr 1967 entdeckte der Archäologe Spyridon Marinatos eine Stadt der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Santorin-Eruption — Die Insel Santorin heute: Die vulkanische Caldera wird aus der Hauptinsel, der Insel Thirasia im Westen und der winzigen Felsinsel Aspronisi im Südwesten gebildet. In der Mitte des Inselrunds liegen die beiden erst nach der Minoischen Eruption… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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