Akrotiri Boxer Fresco

The volcanic eruption on the island of Thera, now known as Santorini, was one of the largest Plinian eruptions in the past 10,000 years, with a range of 30–40 cubic kilometres. An eruption of this size would have most likely generated a tsunami over 100 feet tall, travelling across the Aegean Sea and decimating populations in its path. The size of this eruption had far-reaching impacts on the environment and civilizations in the region, primarily the Minoans.[3] The thick layer of pumice and ash from the volcano covered the island and preserved much of the ancient civilization for thousands of years. As a result, several pieces of Minoan artwork, primarily the frescoes, were preserved as fragments in the rubble, and have been reassembled by archaeologists. These frescoes provide modern society with an invaluable insight into the daily lives of the Cycladic people.

Bull-Leaping Fresco

The Minoans practiced several sports including wrestling, bull jumping, acrobatics, and of course: boxing. This is apparent in multiple pieces of art, ranging from other frescoes, such as the Bull-Leaping Fresco, to pottery. The youth of the boys in the Akrotiri Boxer Fresco hints that athletes began training very early on in life, suggesting that sports were extremely important to Minoan society. It has even been suggested that athletics played a religious role in society due to their widespread practice.

The youth of athletes in many pieces of artwork indicates that athletic competition may have been a rite of passage into adulthood for the Minoans.[4] Although there is much scholarly debate as to whether or not the gloves that the boys are wearing were meant to provide protection for the bones of the wearer or increase the amount of damage inflicted on the opponent, it is clear that with the exception of gloves, jewelry, and belts, competitors wore as little as possible. Due to the simplicity of the sport, it is quite possible that boxing was created as a means to settle disputes and eventually evolved into an athletic competition.[5]

The Akrotiri Boxer Fresco may have been the first example of a sports-related deformity ever recorded. According to a medical writer, the young boy on the right appears to have spondylolisthesis.[6] But the anatomy in Minoan painting is often not very realistic.

In order to achieve such vibrant coloration there are several techniques possible. In buon fresco, commonly known from Renaissance art, a lime plaster was applied to the walls and then painted over while wet with colorful paint. In Minoan art, frescos often employed another technique as well known as fresco-secco. After the plaster and paint dried, extra paint was sometimes used to add details, and would be applied with a binding agent. Some frescos are entirely created using this technique. The most common colors used in frescoes were green, blue, yellow, white, red, and black, all of which were derived from minerals and later fixed with organic material.[7] Advanced geometric patterns suggest the usage of mechanical tools to improve the accuracy of the designs as well as a grid system for proportionality. As is common in other forms of Greek art such as pottery, male skin is generally painted red while females tend to be portrayed as white.[1] In the Akrotiri Boxer Fresco, the youths' red skin suggest their gender while their partially shaved heads indicate that they are still children.

• Doumas, Christos G. (1983). Thera, Pompeii of the Ancient Aegean: Excavations at Akrotiri 1967-1979. London: Thames and Hudson.

• Morgan, Lyvia (1988). The miniature wall paintings of Thera : a study in Aegean culture and iconography. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521247276.