Minerals: the gifts of the earthquakes and the volcanoes in Aegean

Vasilios Melfos Assistant Professor School of Geology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki [email protected]

NOESIS, Thessaloniki, 23/4/2018 What is a mineral?

A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic solid, with a definite chemical composition and an ordered atomic arrangement.

quartz

Chemical composition: SiO2 Crystal System: trigonal There are 5312 minerals in the Earth’s crust (November 2017)

Framboidal pyrite, Xylagani, Greece

Their size ranges from <1 μm to 12 m.

Cave of the Crystals, Naica, Mexico Mineral Raw Materials

Raw materials are crucial for the development of the modern societies, the environmentally friendly technologies and the Hi-Tech industrial products. Without them, there wouldn’t be any smartphones, laptops, or cars. They are extracted from large open pits or underground mines. Greece has a very unique geological history! The subduction of Africa beneath Eurasia is the main reason for the formation of large mineral deposits. Aegina, Methana Poros

Kos, Nisyros Gyali Milos, Kimolos, Polyaigos, Antimilos Santorini, Kolumbo Christiana

South Aegean Active Volcanic Arc Volcanoes in Aegean did not bring only disasters. Their action caused numerous mineral deposits, which have been used by the inhabitants since the Prehistoric times. Many Aegean islands were very wealthy thanks to the mineral raw materials. Aegean civilization was spread through sea traveling. Together, the raw materials were exported to faraway places, based on communications, trade, exchanges and knowledge. Milos obsidian Prehistoric period

Arrow tip made of Milos obsidian Neolithic tools of Milos obsidian found found in Northern Greece (Dispilio in Western Greece (Kefalonia) Neolithic site) (5.280 B.C.)

Obsidian from Milos island was one of the first rocks which was extensively used by humans and was transported around Aegean from 9,000 B.C. to 1,500 B.C. Obsidian is a volcanic rock made of natural glass and is formed when the hot lava is poured at the bottom of the cold sea, and solidifies very fast.

Obsidian from Milos Prehistoric quarries of obsidian at Adamantas in Milos island. Prehistoric quarries of obsidian at Adamantas in Milos island. Millstones since the Prehistoric period

Prehistoric millstone, NE Greece

Millstone for water-mill, N. Greece Hand millstone (photo Nelly’s)

Millstone was one of the first tools used for grinding seeds to produce bread. Thus, millstones have played a leading role in the productive economy of humans, from prehistoric to modern times. Μυλόπετρες Προϊστορική Εποχή έως πρόσφατα

Millstones were extracted in many volcanic Aegean islands, like Milos, Kimolos, Polyaigos, Santorini, Nisyros, Skyros, Aigina, Poros, Methoni, Limnos, Lesbos. They were distributed around the Mediterranean. The geographer Marino Sanuto the Elder wrote in 1321 that the millstones from Milos and Kimolos were of a very good quality.

Millstone of trachyte from Milos island Millstone of trachyte from Limnos island Sandstone quarry in Skyros island for the construction of millstones Sandstone quarry in Rhodes island for the construction of millstones Marble Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period

Marble was strongly related to the social, religious and economic life of ancient Greeks. It affected the rapid evolution of the technology and economy around Aegean. Ancient Greeks had deep knowledge of the physical properties of the marble and they expressed the harmony of proportion in the buildings and sculptures construction. Marble Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period Aegean includes extensive areas with pure white marble and therefore there was plenty of raw material during the antiquity. Marble Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period

Famous white marble quarries operated in antiquity by the Greeks:

1. Penteli 2. Hymettus 3. Doliana 4. Paros 5. Naxos 6. Karystos 7. Skyros 8. Thasos 9. Prokonnesus 10. Dokimia 11. Ephesos 12. Aphrodisias 13. Laodicea Venus of Milos Nike of Samothrace Paros marble Ancient quarry, Paros island Ancient quarry, Naxos island Ancient quarry, Thasos island Ancient quarry, Thasos island Metals Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period

The ancient civilization was based on metals

Ancient Athens: Silver mines in Lavrion, Attica

Ancient Macedonia – Philip II: Gold and silver mines in Northern Greece Metals Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period

Au (gold)

Pb (lead)

Ag (silver)

Cu (copper)

Fe (iron) Sn (tin)

Ancient mine(5th cent B.C.) Metals Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period

Mines around Aegean operated Thasos during antiquity Lavrion and Thasos were very Lavrion important mining centers

(Wagner and Pernicka 1982) Ancient mine, Lavrion Attica Metals Bronze age, Classical and Hellenistic times, Roman period

Ancient gold mine, Thasos Metals Recent times

More than 200 mining companies have been operated in the islands of Aegean since 14th century.

Pyrolousite (MnO2), Milos island Metals Recent times

The metal ores were transported by boats to the largest ports of the world (Piraeus, Roterdam, Liverpool, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerpen, Black Sea, Boston, New York).

Serifos island Sulfur from fumaroles, Milos Kaolinite mines, Milos Kaolinite mines, Milos Mineral wealth of Aegean Today

There only a few but very important mining operations in Aegean today, in Thasos, Milos, Nisyros.

Milos Milos island: Bentonite Perlite Kaolinite Pozolane Barite Bentonite mine, Milos Perlite mine, Milos Marble quarry, Thasos Mineral wealth Future

South Aegean Active Volcanic Arc

Angelier 1979 Mineral wealth Future Large rare metal deposits are formed today beneath the Aegean volcanoes

Sillitoe 2010 Kolumbo underwater volcano, Santorini NOAA, Thera Expedition. Sigurdsson et al. 2006 Gold, Antimony, Thalium, Silver, Arsenic, Mercury, Zinc

Kolumbo underwater volcano, Santorini Volcanic rocks, Glaronisia, Μilos References

•Angelier J. (1979). Neotectonique de l Arc Egéen. Bull. Soc. géol. Nord, Publ. N° 3, 417 p. •Kilias et al. (2013). New insights into hydrothermal vent processes in the unique shallow-submarine arc- volcano, Kolumbo (Santorini), Greece. Nature Scientific Reports, Volume 3, id. 2421. •Koukouli-Chrysanthaki Ch., Weisgerber G., Gialoglou G., and Vavelidis M. (1988). Praehistorischer und junger Bergbau auf Eisenpigmente auf Thasos. Anschnitt, Bh.6, 241-244. •Melfos V. (2008). “Green Thessalian Stone”: The Byzantine quarries and the use of a unique architecture material from Larisa area, Greece. Petrographic and geochemical characterization. Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 27(4) 387–405. •Melfos V., Helly B., Voudouris P. (2011). The ancient Greek names "Magnesia" and "Magnetes" and their origin from the magnetite occurrences at the Mavrovouni mountain of Thessaly, central Greece. A mineralogical- geochemical approach. Anthropological and Archaeological Sciences, 3, 165-172. •Pernicka E., Wagner G.A. (1982). Lead, silver and gold in ancient Greece. PACT, 7, 419-425. • Sigurdsson H., Carey S., Alexandir M. and Croff K. (2006). Thera 2006 Expedition. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06blacksea/logs/summary_thera/summary_thera.html) •Sillitoe R.H. (2010). Porphyry Copper Systems. Economic Geology, 105, 3-41. •Vavelidis M., Pernicka E., Wagner G.A. (1988). Die Goldvorkommen von Thasos. Anschnitt, Bh. 6, 113- 124. •Βάος Ζ., Νομικός Σ. (1993). Ο ανεμόμυλος στις Κυκλάδες. Δωδώνη. Αθήνα-Γιάννινα. σελ. 406.