Pertaining to the period of time before the catastrophic eruption of Thea, about 1600-1500 BCE, the resultant tsunamis of which are believed to have caused the downfall of the Minoan civilization. This event is thought by many to be the basis of Plato's story of Atlantis. The word literally means "before the flood." From the Latin ante (before) + diluvium (flood).
A Shackteau is a humble, weather-beaten, structurally questionable shelter located in a spectacular or highly coveted place—Wales, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Crested Butte, coastal Maine, the Alps—where the building itself may be worth almost nothing, but the dirt, view, access, and mythology make it absurdly valuable.
In use:
Shackteâu - We thought it was an abandoned shed until the realtor called it a rare alpine Shackteâu with unobstructed views and listed it for $2 million.