Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the Univesrity of Athens where he taught Aegean Archaeology from 1980 to 2000. From 1960 to 1980 he had a career in the Greek Archaeological service as curator of antiquities in Attica, on the Athenian Akropolis, in the Cyclades, in the Dodecanese, as well as in the North Aegean islands, regions where he conducted excavations and organized museum exhibitions. He has also served as curator of the Prehistoric Collections of the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, as well as Director of Antiquities and Director of Conservation at the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Since 1975 is the Director of the Excavations at Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini). Professor Doumas has published several books and scholarly articles on Aegean archaeology particularly on the Aegean island cultures.
"Santorini and Atlantis: Discoveries in the Pompeii of Greece" (summary)
The excavations at Akrotiri, Thera or Santorini, since 1967 are continuously revealing facets of life and culture in the Aegean for a period covering most of the Bronze Age (ca. 3000-1650 BC). Architectural monuments preserved up to the third storey under thick volcanic deposits, exquisite wall paintings, thousands of pots, stone artifacts, exotic imports etc. constitute an enormous amount of material evidence testifying the role of Akrotiri as a cosmopolitan harbour town and ancient Thera as a crossroad in the Mediterranean.
This wealth of material has often triggered the imagination of some people who attempted to identify Thera with the lost continent of Atlantis as described by the fifth century Athenian philosopher Plato.
A comprehensive presentation of the finds as well as the issue of lost Atlantis are the focal points of the lecture.
Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the Univesrity of Athens where he taught Aegean Archaeology from 1980 to 2000. From 1960 to 1980 he had a career in the Greek Archaeological service as curator of antiquities in Attica, on the Athenian Akropolis, in the Cyclades, in the Dodecanese, as well as in the North Aegean islands, regions where he conducted excavations and organized museum exhibitions. He has also served as curator of the Prehistoric Collections of the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, as well as Director of Antiquities and Director of Conservation at the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Since 1975 is the Director of the Excavations at Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini). Professor Doumas has published several books and scholarly articles on Aegean archaeology particularly on the Aegean island cultures.