Uncovered Akrotiri in danger from elements
After Saturday’s downpours, Archaeologists have raised fears that rain could begin destroying the Akrotiri archeological site on Santorini, which remains partly uncovered since a British tourist was killed there 10 days ago. A huge steel roof covering the ancient Minoan city caved in on September 23, killing 46-year-old Richard Bannion and injuring six others. That section of the site has not been covered since the accident due to fears it might interfere with the prosecutor’s investigation. «I cannot understand the lack of action from authorities to protect the monument at Akrotiri from the rain,» Professor of Archaeology Christos Doumas told Sunday’s Kathimerini. Meanwhile, documents seen by Kathimerini suggest the safety of the site was tacitly approved although never discussed in detail by the Culture Ministry’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS). Records of a KAS meeting last April show that officials discussed how much visitors should be charged to enter the site but that the issue of its safety was not raised.
