Beautiful and clean beach surrounded by the remains of abandoned mines...
Metalia beach
Mining history of Thasos
Mining activities for base and precious metals started in the 7th century B.C. with the Phoenicians, followed in the 4th century by the Greeks and then the Romans. The mining was both open - pit and underground, and concentrated on the numerous karst hosted calamine deposits for lead and silver although there was also minor exploitation of gold and copper. Worth mentioning is the discovery of a paleolithic addit located at Tzines iron mine, whose age has being estimated at approximately 15.000 years old, (Kovkouli et. al. 1988) for the exploitation of limonitic ore.
More recently, mining companies such as Speidel (1905-1912) and Vielle Montagne (1925 - 1930) exploited the Zn-Pb (calamine) ores which had reported grades over 12% Zn+Pb. In 1905 a metallurgical plant was erected at Limenaria for the calcination of the calamines in vertical and Oxland furnaces to produce ZnO. Later (1926) the calcination plant was rebuilt by Vieille Montagne with Waelz system rotary furnaces. Iron ore mining became important during the years 1954-1964. Several mining companies (Krupp and Apostolopoulos A.E., Chondrodimos S.A.) exploited the iron ore deposits of the island. It is estimated that total mineral production during the period 1905-1964 was about 2 million tonnes of calamine (12% Zn+Pb) and 3 million tonnes of iron ore (44% Fe). After 1964 there is no mining activity on the island.
Metalia beach and remains of mining
A new exploration effort that was initiated in 1976 by IGME aimed at locating hidden primary base metal mineralization. Core drilling resulted in the discovery at the Marlou prospect, in 1979, of a stratabound primary Zn - Pb deposit at 200 m depth. The marble quarrying had a parallel history with the mining activity until the Byzantine period. From 1960's, the marble quarrying has been the only activity concerning the mineral wealth of Thasos.
Mined minerals
The most important material mined here is calamine. Calamine is a historic name for an ore of zinc. During the late 18th century, it was discovered, that what had been thought to be one ore was actually three distinct minerals: smithsonite ZnCO3, hemimorphite Zn4Si2O7(OH)2·H2O and hydrozincite Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6. Minerals are usually very similar in appearance and can only be distinguished through chemical analysis. In the mining industry the term calamine is still used to refer to all these three minerals indiscriminately, but in mineralogy, calamine is no longer considered a valid term. Especially in Limenaria, smithsonite and hemimorphite were mined.
Smithsonite
Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc carbonate (ZnCO3), a mineral ore of zinc. Smithsonite is a variably colored trigonal mineral which is only rarely found in well formed crystals. Its typical habit is as earthy botryoidal masses. It has a Mohs hardness of 4.5. Smithsonite occurs as a secondary mineral in the weathering or oxidation zone of zinc-bearing ore deposits. It sometimes occurs as replacement bodies in carbonate rocks and as such may constitute zinc ore. It commonly occurs in association with hemimorphite, willemite, hydrozincite, cerussite, malachite, azurite, aurichalcite and anglesite. It forms two limited solid solution series, with substitution of manganese leading to rhodochrosite, and with iron, leading to siderite.
Hemimorphite
Hemimorphite (Zn4Si2O7(OH)2·H2O), is a sorosilicate mineral which has been mined for centuries from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, mainly associated with smithsonite. The silicate was more rare then smithsonite, and was named hemimorphite because of the hemimorph development of its crystals. This unusual form, which is typical for only few minerals, means that the crystals are terminated by dissimilar faces. Hemimorphite most commonly forms crystalline crusts and layers, also massive, granular, rounded and reniform aggregates, concentrically striated, or finely needle-shaped, fibrous or stalactitic, and rarely fan-shaped clusters of crystals. Some specimens show strong green fluorescence in shortwave ultraviolet light (253.7 nm) and weak light pink fluorescence in longwave UV. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.
Another mined minerals
Another ten minerals were found here in Limenaria mines: aragonite CaCO3, aurichalcite (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6, azurite Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2, baryte BaSO4, calcite CaCO3, galena PbS, malachite Cu2CO3(OH)2, mimetite Pb5(AsO4)3Cl, pyromorphite Pb5(PO4)3Cl and quartz SiO2. However, they are no longer present there.
Palataki
The impressive Palataki palace dominates the rocky cape where it stands just at the end of Limenaria harbor. It is a two-storied building rectangular with two little towers on its narrow facets. As a vivid example of eclectic architecture it is characterized by a strict geometry and influenced from central European adherents. It was built between 1903 and 1904 to house the administration of Speidel the German company which by then was exploiting the Thassos mines. In 1963 though it stopped being used and since the industrial installations were deserted. The building is being repaired so that it can be reused as a cultural center.
Palataki
Remains of mining
Near Palataki there are the remains of the old Stables, currently used as a makeshift folk-art museum. At the foot of the hill, where Palataki stands, there is the picturesque Metalia beach, where the old ore-enrichment installations lie. The old buildings cover the slope and along with a heap of old rust, they dominate the scenery. The floors and walls are left naked, since all metal parts and machinery have been looted and sold as scrap.
Old installations at the top of the slope
The only installations preserved are the furnaces, part of the ore process, which was in the early 1900s performed by the company Speidel-Pforzeheim and later on by its successor Veille-Montagne & Societe Hellenique Metallurgique et Miniere. After the 1930s recession, the mines worked under the joint venture Apostolu AE-SCHMIDT-KRUPP, but the ore-processing was stopped and the great furnace-ramp was used only for the haulage of unprocessed ore to barges.
Logging requirements
BEFORE you log this cache, you have to send your answers to the following questions by mail, thanks.
- What is the name of a material that was mined here, and which contains a larger amount of zinc (also known as the oldest zinc ore)?
- What is the chemical symbol of a heavy metal (not iron or zinc) obtained here on Thassos with the material you answered in previous question?
- What is on the other end of the tunnel dug in the rock mass of wharf visible by the beach?
a) hidden room
b) nothing, only darkness
c) old mining equipment
d) little beach
Please send your answers to mail answer1answer2answer3(at)romantic29.cz and please fill only your GC.com nickname to the subject of this mail. For example, if your answers are 1. granit, 2. Ag and 3. b), the correct mail is granitagb(at)romantic29.cz. If the mail address is correct, you will automatically receive the confirmation mail and the log permission. Please do not log the cache without log permission.
Please attach to your log a picture of yourself anywhere on the beach with remains of the mining in the background. It is not required, but highly appreciated.
Listing in Greek
Listing in Greek language is available here