Λατομεία και λατόμοι στη Θράκη από την αρχαιότητα έως τη σύγχρονη εποχή
Part of : Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στη Μακεδονία και στη Θράκη ; Vol.20, No.1, 2006, pages 41-49
Issue:
Pages:
41-49
Parallel Title:
Quarries and quarrymen in Thraki, from the antiquity to the present
Abstract:
Different types of rocks were extracted for various uses during the long history of Greek Thraki. Some typical examples are presented in this paper. The quarries of Alyki in Thasos island provided an excellent crystalline white marble and operated from 6th century B.C to 6th century A.D. Special examples of buildings, statues and other constructions are found in an extended area around Mediterranean including Samothraki, Minor Asia and Rome. High-quality white marble was extracted in Maronia from Classical to Roman times, especially for local uses. The walls and many buildings of ancient Zoni/Mesimvria were constructed with the local limestone, which was quarried at the west of the city. In this paper, special emphasis is given in the quarries of the volcanogenic rocks in Petrota of Evros region. These quarries provided with building material many local constructions in Greece and Bulgaria, such as the Thracian tomb (4th century B.C.) and the Byzantine fortress of Mezek, the post-Byzantine fortress of Petrota and the long bridge of Middle Ages in Svilengrad. The volcanic rocks of Samothraki were used from the antiquity to the present in various constructions and also for the manufacturing of millstones.The stones were quarried from open pits with straight rock faces. The tool traces, especially marks of pickaxes, left on the rock and the roughly shaped stone blocks found in situ, bear witness to the extraction methods and techniques and the final phase of active quarrying. Extraction proceeded stepwise and the technique was simple and depended on the geological and structural features of the rock. Quarrying process was a rather hard work and the quarrymen were specialized in this. Sometimes slaves or captives were used in the operations.The extraction and the trade of the stones including millstones, during the last 500 years in the area of Petrota and Metaxades of Evros, yielded a great profit to the inhabitants as the stone production was increased especially in the 19th century.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Notes:
Περιέχει εικόνες
