Once upon a time, Santorini (also known as Thera) was a poor and desolate place. There was no electricity while the island possessed only two hotels and a single taxi, whose driver was known as “George the Red” on account of his red hair. Most villages were accessible only by donkey. This wind-swept island, though, kept a great secret. Spyridon Marinatos was an archaeologist who believed that the great Minoan civilization of Crete perished because of a massive volcanic eruption on the island of Thera. This natural disaster caused a tsunami that destroyed the magnificent palaces and towns of Crete. Marinatos was certain that the volcanic soil of Thera preserved proof of his theory. In 1967, he began systematic excavations at Akrotiri. A lost civilization was about to emerge from the ashes.