What a coincidence that I visited the Akrotiri ruins only a few weeks ago. It was truly remarkable. Unlike Pompeii, the people of ancient Thera appear to have been familiar enough with volcanoes to know to evacuate well ahead of the eruption. No remains of valuables, pets, or humans have been discovered at the site. Still, much about the life and culture of these people is able to be learned from their architecture, visual culture, and more. The remains of Linear A tablets and frescos have strongly associated it with Minoan civilization (though the guide we had at the site was careful to not to simply call the people “Minoans”).