Tracing the origin of ancient building stones for monument preservation using Engineering Geology: insights from the Abdera quarries in Greece

paper-43693
Published: Mar 9, 2026
Keywords:
ancient quarries Building stones Engineering Geology ancient Abdera XRD petrographic analysis
Dimitrios Tsagkas
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0233-367X
Abstract

Today, the development of ancient civilizations is reflected, among other things, in the important engineering works and monuments preserved, for the construction of which building stones from ancient quarries were used. Engineering geology can be engaged to identify and study such ancient quarries around ancient works, as well as to correlate the construction materials of the latter with the rocks found in these quarries. This paper presents the results of the engineering geological research studies conducted in the ancient quarries of Mandra and Petrolofos in Xanthi, Greece. The aim of the research was to interpret the parameters of the mining development in these quarries and the association of the excavated building stones with the walls and other structures of the adjacent city of Abdera. Τo determine the engineering-geological characteristics and tectonic structure of the quarry sites, field investigations were conducted, accompanied by laboratory examination of collected samples. The results highlight the significant influence of the geotectonic framework on the formation and accessibility of the quarry materials and reveal a satisfactory correlation between the stones from the quarries and those found in the archaeological remains of Abdera. The study highlights the importance of preserving and promoting these ancient quarries for scientific research, education, and geotourism.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Engineering
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Andronopoulos, B., Rozos, D., Kynigalaki, M., Koukis, G., Tzitziras, A., Pogiatzi, E., Apostolidis, D., 1993. Engineering Geological Map of Greece, Scale 1:500,000. Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME), Athens.
Bell, F.G., 2007. Engineering Geology, 2nd ed. Elsevier, Oxford.
Billoski, T.V., 1992. Introduction to Paleontology, 6th ed. Institutional Press, New York.
Coletti, C., Antonelli, F., Germinario, L., Maritan, L., Piovesan, R., Tesser, E., Mazzoli, C., 2025. Investigating stone materials from some European cultural heritage sites for predicting future decay. Rend. Lincei Sci. Fis. Nat., 36, 103–127.
de Vals, M., Gastineau, R., Perrier, A., Rubi, R., Moretti, I., 2020. The stones of the Sanctuary of Delphi - Northern shore of the Corinth Gulf - Greece. Bull. Soc. Geol. Fr., 191, 11.
Degryse, P., Cassar, J., 2015. Geological Aspects of Ancient Stone Resources. Geological Society, London.
Dimadis, E., Zachos, S., 1986. Geological Map of Rhodope Massif 1:200,000.
Fathy, E., Sadek, M., Yousri, R. & Kayser, S., 2008. Map of Ancient Egyptian Stone Quarries. Work Package 7, Deliverable No. 9. QuarryScapes.
Fitzner, B., Heinrichs, K., 2004. Damage diagnosis on stone monuments, in: Geological Society Special Publications.
Germinario, L., Török, Á., 2020. Surface Weathering of Tuffs: Compositional and Microstructural Changes in the Building Stones of the Medieval Castles of Hungary. Minerals, 10(4), 376.
Goodman, R.E., 1993. Engineering Geology: Rock in Engineering Construction, John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Grawehr, M., 2021. Travertine in Rome: Its Style and Meaning, in Haug, A., Hielscher, A., Lauritsen M.T. (Eds.), Materiality in Roman Art and Architecture. De Gruyter, pp. 162-179.
Hoek, E., Brown, E.T., 1980. Underground Excavations in Rock, CRC Press, London.
Hoek, E., Brown, E.T., 1997. Practical estimates of rock mass strength. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci., 34(8), 1165-1186.
Hoek, E., Carranza-Torres, C., Corkum, B., 2002. Hoek–Brown failure criterion – 2002 edition. NARMS–TAC 2002, Mining Innovation and Technology, Toronto, pp. 267–273.
Kallintzi, K., 2011. The land of Abdera: Contribution to the archaeology and historical topography of the southern part of the Prefecture of Xanthi. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Thessaly, Volos. [in Greek].
Kallintzi, K., 2020. The quarries of ancient Abdera in Mandra, Xanthi. Observer of Thrace. Available at: (accessed 10 November 2025). [in Greek].
Kallintzi, C., Georgiadis, M., Kefalidou, E., Chatziprokopiou, K., 2022. Archaic and Classical Abdera: Economy and Wealth by the Nestos Riverside, in: Kefalidou, E. (Ed.), The Riverlands of Aegean Thrace: Production, Consumption and Exploitation of the Natural and Cultural Landscapes River Valleys and Regional Economies. Propylaeum, Heidelberg, 7–20 pp.
Kallintzi, K., Chrysafi, M., Chatziprokopiou, K., Skoulariki, D., Adamidou, A., Katsaki, P., Petridou, G., Dolianitis, M., Delioridis, Th., Tsagkas, D., Bakalidis, Th., 2024. From the city of Democritus to the walls of Kantakouzenos: Unification of archaeological sites of Abdera and Poros. 36th Scientific Meeting: The Archaeological Project in Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, 2024. [in Greek].
Kokkorou-Alevra, G., Poupaki, E., Efstathopoulos, A., Hadjikonstantinou, A., 2014. Corpus of Ancient Quarries: Quarries of the Greek Area from Prehistoric to Medieval Times. University of Athens. [in Greek].
Kósa, Z., Török, Á., 2020. Characterization of Historic Binders and Stones of a Ruined Medieval Church (Hungary). Period. Polytech. Civ. Eng., 64(2), 597–604.
Lancaster, L., 2005. The process of building the Colosseum: The site, materials, and construction techniques. J. Rom. Archaeol., 18, 57–82.
Lisci, C., Sitzia, F., Pires, V., Aniceto, M., Mirão, J., 2023. Stone endurance: A comparative analysis of natural and artificial weathering on stone longevity. Heritage, 6(6), 4593–4617.
Malfilâtre, C., Boulvais, P., Dabard, M.P., Bourquin, S., Hallot, E., Pallix, D., Gapais, D., 2012. Petrographical and geochemical characterization of Comblanchien limestone (Bourgogne, France): A fingerprint of the building stone provenance. C.R. Geosci., 344(1), 14–24.
Mousopoulos, Th., 1998. Abdera, land of beauty and contemplation. Community of Abdera, Xanthi. [in Greek].
Orlandos, A.K., 1955–1960. The building materials of the ancient Greeks and their methods of application. Archaeological Society of Athens, Library No. 37. [in Greek].
Pappalardo, G., Mineo, S., Caliò, D., Bognandi, A., 2022. Evaluation of natural stone weathering in heritage buildings by infrared thermography. Heritage, 5(3), 2594–2614.
Pike, S., 2025. Characterization of Intra-Quarry Variability in Pentelic Marble Using Stable Isotopes. Minerals, 15(3), 231.
Price, C.A., 2007. Stone Conservation: An Overview of Current Research. Getty Conservation Institute.
Shekofteh, A., Oudbashi, O., Cultrone, G., Ansari, M., 2020. Geochemical and petrographic identification of stone quarries of the Anahita Temple of Kangavar. Heritage Sci., 8, 14.
Smith, J.K., 1924. The Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, 4, 153–168.
Thomas, D.H., 2015. Archaeology. Wadsworth, Belmont, CA.
Varró, V., Török, Á., Görög, P., 2025. Historic Stone Masonry Arch Bridges. Geoheritage, 17.
Xeidakis, G.S., Samaras, I.S., 1980. Durability of sandstone used in ancient Abdera. Bull. Int. Assoc. Eng. Geol., 22, 137–147.
Xidakis, G.S., Diamantis, J.V., Marinos, P.G., 1990. Building stones and geological environment in three ancient cities of Aegean Thrace. Environ. Geol., 16(1), 91–101.
Zomborácz, T., Somodi, S., Qurany, S., Török, Á., 2025. Rock Mass Characterization and Non-destructive Testing of a Rock-cut Tomb, Theban Necropolis (Egypt). Period. Polytech. Civ. Eng., 69(2), 519–528.