Blocks of green "glass" on old wreck site ... any idea?

Jerome Smeets · #1 15-02-11, 14:40

Hello,

In Southern Crete, there is an old wreck site including a few green "glass" blocks as shown on the pictures.

Not sure this is glass. It can cut your skin like glass and light goes trough it.
Also on the site, many amphori broken in tiny pieces and some kind of structure covered with grey stuff, not sure wether it's part of the boat or anchor or ?

Are those blocks common in old wreck in Greece and does anyone knows what it is exactly ?
(no reply yet from the ministry of culture)

Thanks in advance for any information

GKAM · #2 15-02-11, 17:17

Hehe, looks like you've been diving near Plakias

/GKAM

Jerome Smeets · #3 15-02-11, 18:16

Yep

I just learned that this is probably sand and Natron melted in big blocks, broken into pieces small enough so they could be carried.
Then the blocks were melted again to make various items in a secondary workshop.

http://www2.cnrs.fr/presse/journal/1318.htm
(french)

Dimitris · #4 15-02-11, 21:16

Hi Jerome

Are you sure it was green and not brown ?
A friend of mine have found a similar item in marathon gulf.
It was resin. Resin was to be one of the materials that nations from Asia used for constricring the ships. Greeks were using tar from other materials.

An occasion is that the resin was from the hull of a persian ships that sunk in marathon gulf after the marathon battle. Another occasion is that the resin was merchandise that the ship was carrying.

I will try to find the photos and i will come back.

Dimitris

Jerome Smeets · #5 16-02-11, 03:48

Hi Dimitris,

Yes in this case it's really green (the second picture with the flash shows the accurate color).

Yes, if you have pictures, am interested

Dimitris · #6 16-02-11, 22:48

Παράθεση:

Αρχικό μήνυμα απο Jerome Smeets

Yes in this case it's really green (the second picture with the flash shows the accurate color).

But in the first it seems brown

O.K I found the pictures. Click on for full size

Use google translator and check the bellow links. It describes the usage of the resin for the construction of the ships from 500 BC

http://www.servitoros.gr/education/view.php/12/185/

http://www.livepedia.gr/index.php?ti...BD%CE%B9%CE%BF

P.S marathon Battle took place in 490 BC

BR
Dimitris

Jerome Smeets · #7 17-02-11, 01:27

Beautiful !
Thanks