S. Papamarinopoulos

Magnetic characterization and Mössbauer spectroscopy of magnetic concentrates from Greek lake sediments

Abstract Bulk magnetic properties of three Greek lake sediments indicated that the main magnetic constituent was predominantly pseudo-single-domain magnetite. This was confirmed by successfully extracting and directly identifying the magnetite. The majority of the magnetite in the magnetic concentrates is present as grains of about 2–3 μm in size, the overall size ranging from with occasional grains up to ∼ 20 μm . The grains are roughly equidimensional and angular in form indicating that they are of primarily detrital origin, although an authigenic origin for the very fine grains must be a possibility. Mossbauer spectra of the magnetic concentrates suggest that either the magnetite is slightly non-stoichiometric to a similar degree in the three lakes, or contains impurity ions. Haematite was also found in the concentrates but its abundance is only ∼10–15% that of magnetite and its is not detectable in any of the magnetic properties of the sediments.

2-D velocity structure of the buried ancient canal of Xerxes: an application of seismic methods in archaeology

Abstract An ancient buried canal whose existence had been disputed even in antiquity has been detected and described by the modern seismic methods of geophysics. Its dimensions concur with those described by the ancient historian, Herodotus. The 2-km long canal is located in the Chalkidiki peninsula in northern Greece, and was constructed some 2500 years ago by the Persian King Xerxes. Beyond the classical processing of the seismic data, inverse seismic modeling was also implemented, giving an improved and more complete picture. The inverse modeling tested the validity of the results of the seismic refraction and reflection seismics and provided 2-D velocity structure profiles. Over much of the isthmus, it was possible to trace the route of the ancient canal by connecting the deepest points of all the sections.

Magnetic and electric measurements on the island of Lesbos and the detection of buried ancient relics

Abstract Total geomagnetic field intensity measurements have been performed with a portable magnetometer in a gridded archaeological site. Their analysis reveals linear features which correspond to ancient buried relics. Resistivity soundings in the same area allowed estimates of the thickness of the soil with respect to bedrock and revealed artificially made voids.

Palaeomagnetic and mineral magnetic studies of sediment from Ball's Cavern, Schoharie, U.S.A.

Abstract Two sediment sequences from a cave near Schoharie, N.Y., have been sampled for palaeomagnetic measurements. The nature of the palaeomagnetic records obtained was found to be similar to other North American records. A correlation can be made with lake sediment records back to 13,000 yr B.P., and with a sediment record from Bessette Creek in Canada for the period between ∼ 23,000 and 30,000 yr B.P. During both periods the dominant long-term trend of the VGP path has been that of anticlockwise motion, but during the last 13,000 years there has been more superimposed short-term clockwise motion than during the earlier period. Magnetic properties of the sediments suggest that magnetite is the dominant magnetic mineral and this is confirmed by the Mossbauer spectra of both the sediments and magnetic extracts. Mossbauer measurements on the magnetic extracts also detected the presence of a small amount of haematite.

The Canal of Xerxes: summary of investigations 1991–2001

This paper summarizes the results of the earlier phase (1991–8) of geoarchaeological investigations at the Canal of Xerxes in northern Greece and then presents the findings of recent work. Through the combination of geophysical survey and analysis of sediments obtained from bore holes drilled along the supposed course of the canal it was established in 1996 that at least in the central sector of the 2 km wide isthmus there was indeed a deeply buried trench-like structure, c. 30 m wide. This is most likely to have been a canal that would have had a depth of water of up to 3 m. The recent work has explored first the situation at the southern end of the canal where one ancient writer claimed that the terrain would only have allowed the construction of a slipway (diolkos). However, seismic survey and sedimentological analysis of cores in that area found no obstacle to the digging of a canal. Second, the results of seismic survey (supported by the evidence of satellite imagery) at the northern end of the canal have suggested that its course was more easterly than that proposed earlier on the basis of the line of present-day lowest ground. In sum, all the indications are that there was a canal across the Athos peninsula and not a diolkos, and that the canals features conform to those outlined by Herodotus in his description of the structure built by Xerxes to allow the Persian fleet into the Aegean for the invasion of Greece in 480 BC.

The canal of Xerxes: investigations in 1993-1994

The paper describes the continuation in 1993–4 of the investigation into the Canal of Xerxes in the Chalkidiki, N. Greece. Effort was concentrated in the central sector of the isthmus, where geophysical survey using seismic methods revealed a channel-like structure some 14–15 m below the present ground level. Encouraging support for the hypothesis that this structure is a canal came from the analysis of cores from two boreholes in the central sector: there was a marked discontinuity in the sediments at a depth of c .14.6 m. Radiocarbon dates of some sediments from these boreholes provided useful ancillary information.

Electric resistance survey of the southern part of the buried ancient town of stymphalos

An electric resistance survey at the ancient site of Stymphalos in the N.E. Peloponnese in Greece was carried out with the twin probe array to locate the layout of the buried settlement. This paper describes the survey of a 140 ×180 m2 area in which resistance readings were taken at 1-m intervals within 20×20 m2 squares, the inter-electrode spacing being 0.5 m. A particular feature of this survey was its rapidity and efficiency; the surveying time for each square was ca. 40 min. The resistance readings ranged between 10 and 800 ohms, the higher readings usually corresponding to walls. The data were stored and processed with a portable computer in the field providing a quick, low resolution composite map at a scale of 1: 500. High resolution dot-density maps illustrating with great clarity the layout of part of the buried town were achieved by further data processing on a mainframe computer.

A Comet during the Trojan War

Plato, in Timaeos, describes the story of the sun’s inadequate son who mimics his father. He is called Phaethon (shining) and caused hardships to several peoples on earth. In the past, Phaethon was associated with visible luminous electric phenomena and fires on the earth related to the volcanic explosion of Santorini. Plato regards Phaethon’s story as a non-fabricated myth but on the contrary as true information from the past. In the text, time of the event is not given, but the general analysis of Timaeos’ and Critias’ passages in connection with Atlantis proves that the 12th century BC is the obvious century of the event. Plato claims it had happened thousands of years before Solon’s 6th century BC. Herodotus, a century earlier, records that Egyptian history extends thousands of years before his time. However, centuries later, ancient Greek writers and Egyptologists illustrate the use principally of moon calendars by the Egyptian priesthood in all epochs. The priests, when recording the ancient history of their country used moon calendars whereas Pharaoh’s high officials used solar calendar, when issuing governmental edicts. Dividing these thousands of years by the number of the full moons of the Metonic circle-year we come to the beginning of 12th century BC. A comet actually introduces a parallaxis in its orbit with respect to the orbits of the planets and their satellites as the myth describes. However, the luminous phenomena in volcanic eruptions do not. Homer, on the other hand, describes the same phenomenon with a variety of complex images as happening during the war between the Achaean Greeks and the Trojans. The comet appears as Athena coming from the west in the form of a shining “star”, in other words, as Phaethousa. The female and male appearances of the same strange and rare phenomenon seen by different people in the Aegean can be explained as an optical illusion. Numerous traces of fires have been spotted in archaeological sites corresponding to 12th century BC in Bronze Age sites in East Mediterranean. They are assigned as results of earthquake activity. In fact, the seismic storm which occurred as a domino effect has left indisputable evidence at the above sites. The decisive scientific methodology may prove that, apart from fires caused by earthquakes, Phaethon could have also caused some fires. This may be proved by taking samples of burnt soil from 12th century BC horizon far away from palaces or settlements. The contact between falling burning cometary fragments and forests causes fires. Furthermore, its tail, consisting of ionized plasma, stardust and water particles, interacts with the atmosphere producing precipitation. For instance, Irish bog trees and Asia Minor oaks exhibit an anomalous precipitation event within their growing rings in 1159 BC and in the years after (see [2, 18] respectively). At exactly the same period, ice-cores present extreme high acidity peaks, whereas in Ireland, Greenland and Asia Minor a kind of climatic shift appears. S.A. Paipetis (ed.), Science and Technology in Homeric Epics, 341–356.

The canal of Xerxes on the Mount Athos peninsula: preliminary investigations in 1991–2

The canal dug by Xerxes across the Mount Athos peninsula in preparation for his invasion of Greece is an important but little-known monument. Geophysical and topographical investigations begun in 1991–2 now suggest that its central section across high ground ran along a deep trench. Its features elsewhere remain to be determined.

Geomagnetic Intensity Measurements from Northern Greece and their Comparison with other Data from Central and N. Eastern Europe for the Period 0 – 2000 yr AD

The geomagnetic intensity variation in northern Greece has been recorded in Byzantine vases. Minute cylindrical 3 × 3mm2 samples have been drilled from fragments of vases and measured with a cryogenic magnetometer. These mini-cores have been treated using a modified version of the Thellier method. The data show a broad agreement with the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Czechoslovakian variation. The geomagnetic intensity ratio FA/FD, which expresses the ancient field intensity relative to the present day field intensity, exhibits values as follows: 1.20 between 300–400, 1.49 between 400–700, 1.51 at about 1100, 0.89 at about 1400, 1.07 at about 1500 and 0.94 at about 1650 yr AD. The data have been corrected for the anisotropy and cooling rate effects.