The fresco was found its the Upper floor, south wall frieze, of West House in ancient Akrotiri (Thera, Santorini (which was buried under volcanic ash in 1627 BCE). Given the amount of location detail present in the fresco, it can be seen as a map from a bird’s-eye view.

Sp. Marinatos speculated the fleet is retiring from and expedition to Lybia, yet Nanno Marinatos provides evidence that this is not the case, stating several reasons: the setting, as well as the flora and fauna depicted on the fresco are more consistent with the Aegean landscape. She also states that the method of propulsion shown, paddling, could not be used on the long trip from Thera to Lybia.

“the frieze depicts a procession of ships, splendidly adorned, which moves between two towns. The left (E.) is clearly more simple than the right (W.) one which is also the culminating pita of the journey […] the special ornamentation of the ships with nature symbols, such as flowers, butterflies and swallows, betokens a religious occasion, not a homecoming from a military expedition. The subject of the frieze is a festival, where the fleet plays an important role.

The two towns on the left and right ends of the ship fresco (S. wall) are rendered differently. The left town has simple buildings. In its outskirts we see some rustics, dressed in animal hides, who are conversing across a river. In the town, people are watching the fleet standing either on the roofs of the houses or on the shore line. They are dressed in tunics, not kilts or long robes. Thus, it seems that tunics indicate a type of dress worn by provincials or the common town’s people. The town in question may be a dependency of Akrotiri, either on Thera itself or on a neighbouring island. That the landscape above the town has a symbolic, rather than a topographical significance will be argued later. Here, let it only be said that it is unlikely that lions roamed on the dry Aegean islands.

The ships vary in size. The passengers are wearing either tunics or long robes. It is reasonable to suggest that they represent people of higher status. This is all the more likely because the ships are in parade and a display of status is surely involved.

The right town (fig. 24) is, in all probability, Akrotiri, as we have noted. There is little doubt that it is more sophisticated than the one previously described and than the coastal settlement depicted on the N. wall. The building complexes are impressive and there are horns of consecration to the right of the gate; these horns are emblems of religious authority (see ch. Il). The inhabitants represent both sexes, all ages and social strata. Rustics are designated by their shaggy skin dresses, they are visible on the left edge of the town on the upper part of the frieze. Men with tunics, the common town’s people, are shown on the upper part of the frieze above the buildings

Another category of people are watching from the windows and balconies. They consist of women, who are in prominent positions on the balconies, men and at least one child. The latter is behind the priestess on the balcony with horns of consecration. These figures probably represent the nobility.Men running to and fro from the town to a watch-tower situated high upon a cliff appear to be youthful. They are either naked or wearing only loincloths. The same can be said about the attire of a fisherman carrying a pole from which are suspended baskets or nets. He is moving from the shore towards the town.

There is a formal procession of youths, moving past the city gate towards the harbour, leading an animal for sacrifice. On the few figures where the dress is discernible, it is clear that they are wearing kilts. Thus, the kilt seems to be worn on special (ceremonial?) occasions. The following table summarizes the observations on social divisions and dress:
Tunics: Common townspeople and provincials (compare withN. wall frieze).
Kilts: Young persons of high social standing (people in the ships) or taking part in a procession (procession of youths).
Shaggy Animal Hide Dress: Rustics.
Long Robes: Adults who are nobles, leaders or priests;
Naked Men: Youths not initiated yet (compare with Egyptian conventions of the New Kingdom).

The evidence is important for the Theran society of the 16th century B.C. and it reflects also the situation in Crete where similar observations can be made about the dress. However, I think it is more valid as an insight into the mentality of the period, than as an accurate, realistic picture. I doubt that rustics always wore animal hide dresses and provincials or commoners always tunics. But the artist of the S. wall frieze intended to give as representative a picture of the whole society as possible. In this way he managed to show the total participation of the town in the festival. N. Marinatos (41-44).”

One shows a procession of seven large and four smaller vessels apparently involved in a cult festival sailing from one town to another where crowds of people are assembled. The ships have long, graceful hulls with elongated bows that rise from the water at almost a forty-five-degree angle and terminate at a point higher than the ships’ masts. The sailing ships carry a single mast amidships, and one is shown with a square sail set between a yard and a boom; all are steered by a pair of quarter rudders attached to the stern quarters of the hull. In the most lavishly decorated processional ship, eight people sit beneath a canopy and garlands run from the bow and over the masthead to the stern. This and a number of the other vessels have lowered sails.

Paine, Lincoln P.. The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World (pp. 71-72). Kindle Edition.

This image is in the public domain. Original image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AKROTIRI_SHIP-PROCESSION-FULL_PANO-3.jpg

Media Gallery

Archive: Original Photo