Today I started to think about the relation between antique hunting and archaeology.

To me searching for antiques is alot like digging up an ancient artifact. You never know what you are going to find when you set out on a hunt through an old barn or estate. I guess the term ” The Thrill of the Hunt ” rings true with not only archaeologists but with dealers too. Once you have found something old and interesting there is an excitement that rushes through you like a kid in a candy shop. The items that I look for may not be a thousand years old and covered with a layer of dirt, but they still have some kind of history behind them. Ok so maybe they have a layer of dust on them!!

I have always had a fascination with archaeological digs. Generally when you think of archaeology you may start to visualize the unearthing of ancient civilizations in Egypt or any far away country. In my travels my husband and I have seen many interesting excavations in Virginia, Greece and Ireland. Many of these digs are open to the public to view. In Virginia we saw a dig that dated back to the 1600’s. They were excavating the remains of Jamestown. For me it was the first one I had ever seen.  I was truly amazed at looking at all of the artifacts that they had recovered. The artifacts included pottery and other household items from that time. They even had discovered a few skulls that dated back to the 1400’s.

By far the coolest excavation that I saw was in Greece. While we were on our honeymoon, one of the Islands that we visited was on the island of Santorini.  Akrotiri Thera was the site of this dig. In about 1500 BC the volcano at the center of the island erupted. This eruption was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. It may have indirectly led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization.

Excavations started at Akrotiri in 1967. The artifacts that remained included beautifully preserved houses, pottery that was still intact, and fragmented wall paintings. To the best of my knowledge their were no human remains found. It was evident that the citizens of Akrotiri had warning of the erupting volcano and were able to escape unharmed. I do have my own personal pictures of the site, but unfortunately my scanner is hooked up to the old computer and is currently not working. But I managed to find some interesting shots online anyway. Here are a few……..

It’s pretty remarkable that after all of those years and layers of ash these artifacts remained intact. I would love to have that piece of pottery in my shop, or have that fresco hanging in my dining room. Well I guess I will just have to keep digging in more old barns to unearth some of my own treasures!! Wish me luck!!