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It is one of the great scientific expeditions of our time. After 6 years of preparation, an international team from 8 nations boards the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Their destination: one of the most explosive volcanoes in the world – the Greek island of Santorini. Expedition IODP 398 is to investigate the eruption history of the volcano underwater for the first time. Kilometre-long drill cores from the heart of the caldera will provide information about the age of the volcano and its behavior. Around 3600 years ago, an eruption larger than Pompeii tore the island apart and covered the eastern Mediterranean with a thick layer of ash. Is it possible that this eruption heralded the end of the Minoans – the first advanced civilization in Europe?

At ancient sites in the Aegean, archaeologists find further evidence of the extent of the destruction around 3600 years ago and come closer to solving the Minoan mystery. A sensational discovery in Turkey brings shuddering certainty about the potential danger of the dormant volcano, then as now. But wind and weather have erased most of the traces on land, pushing archaeology to its limits. By looking into the seabed, scientists hope to find new answers to hotly debated questions. The aim is to decipher the entire volcanic history of Santorini and to make predictions for the future of the Mediterranean tourist hotspot. This is the first time that the history of an underwater volcano has been studied in such detail. The results will provide insights into the behavior of volcanoes worldwide.

Written and directed by: Daniela Pulverer, Ann-Christin Krumm, Ole Gurr

Camera: Luana Knipfer, Ricardo Garzon, Aaron Schwab, Michael Hutchinson, Claudia Schmitt, Hendrik Schmitt

Editing: Frank Reichert, Rafael Metz

A production by K22 on behalf of ZDF in cooperation with ARTE

90 min | 2024