PROVENANCE OF BUILDING AND DECORATIVE STONES OF ACROPOLES TIRYNTHAS AND MYCENAE

• M. Varti-Matarangas, D. Matarangas (Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration, 70 Messogheion str, 115 27 Áthens, Greece)

This paper examines the origin of the building and decorative stones in Tirynth Acropolis, as well as a very important decorative stone, which was used in the entrance of the Mycenae and Tirynth Acropoles.

According to geological and petrological field and laboratory research, in the Tiryns Acropolis monuments were determined twelve lithofacies, which are: Lithofacies A: Biomicrite- biopelmicrite with Orbitolina, Lithofacies B : biosparite, Lithofacies C: Tourbiditic limestone, Lithofacies D: biomicrite with mixed biota, Lithofacies E: red brown biomicrite, Lithofacies F: beige biomicrite with Calcispheres, Lithofacies G: dolomicrite, Lithofacies H: conglomerate, Lithofacies I: Polymictic Conglomerate, Lithofacies J: Very coarse lithoarenite with Nummulites, Lithofacies K: Lithic arkose -lithoarenite, Lithofacies L: porous oocalcarenite.

Most of the lithofacies which belong to the limestones and dolmites have been used as building stones in the interior buildings and the "cyclopean" wall of the Tirynth Acropolis. The decorative stones, which have been used in the Acropolis entrance and the palace, are lithofacies of conglomerates (H and I), sandstones (J and K) and of limestones (L and E).

After implementation a geological research on the lithological formations in the regional area of the Tirynth Acropolis monuments and based on the comparative observations between the lithofacies characteristics of the building and decorative stones and those of the lithological formations of the monuments area, we discovered the origin of most of the building and decorative stones. The ancient quarries from which most of the building and decorative stones were extracted, were detected on the Cretaceous limestones that form the hill on which the Tirynth Acropolis has been built, as well as on adjacent hills.

The conglomerates lithofacies (H and I) have been used as decorative stones in the Tirynth and Mycenae Acropoles. According to the geological research in the regional area and the comparative lithofacies studies, the lithological formation from which they were extracted was found north of Mycenae without finding any traces of quarrying activity. This lithological formation belongs to the post-Alpine formations of the area and especially the plio-pleistocene ones.