Acropolis

Ancient Greek Marble Processing Technology

The Story

Introduction

Athens and her quarries

In the quarry on Mount Pentelicon

The marble for the column capital

Infrastructures for wedges and crowbars

Detaching the block

Preparing to cut off the excess volume

Continuing cutting off the excess volumes

‘Angulating’ the block

Turning upside down in order to work the underside

Stages in shaping the column capital

Assembling a sledge under the half-worked column capital

Hoisting to the quarry exit

The road and the system of descent

Reloading onto the large wagon

Transporting the marble to the east of Lykabettos

Transporting the marble to the east of the city

Transporting the marble to the south of the Acropolis

Transporting the marble with counter-balance wagons

On the worksite east of the Parthenon

Dilemma: Economy or greater safety?

National and artistic losses before the naval battle of Salamis

Fifty years later in the same place

In the quarry on Mount Pentelicon

The marble for the column capital

Infrastructures for wedges and crowbars

Detaching the block

Preparing to cut off the excess volume

Continuing cutting off the excess volumes

‘Angulating’ the block

Turning upside down in order to work the underside

Stages in shaping the column capital

Assembling a sledge under the half-worked column capital

Hoisting to the quarry exit

The road and the system of descent

Reloading onto the large wagon

Transporting the marble to the east of Lykabettos

Transporting the marble to the east of the city

Transporting the marble to the south of the Acropolis

Transporting the marble with counter-balance wagons

On the worksite east of the Parthenon

Dilemma: Economy or greater safety?

National and artistic losses before the naval battle of Salamis

Fifty years later in the same place

The Tools

Introduction

Tykos

Large pick-hammer

Small pick hammer

Probable tools for light processing

Iron Crowbars

Iron Try Squares

Rule

Measure

Bareiai

Hammers

Hummers for marble working

Pitcher and Points

Chisels

Long Chisel for holes

Iron Wedges

Sharp Toothed Surfacers

Pair of compasses

Plumb bob

Line and Paint for marking

Iron Crab-Hooks

Rollers

Plumb bob

Iron Crab-Hooks

Bareiai

Hammers

Pitcher and Points

Pair of compasses

Sharp Toothed Surfacers

Rule

Rollers

Iron Crowbars

Long Chisel for holes

Line and Paint for marking

Measure

Probable tools for light processing of decorative surfaces

Large pick-hammer

Small pick hammer

Iron Wedges

Iron Try Squares

Chisels

Hummers for marble working

Tykos

The Team

The production was partially funded by the General Secreatariat of Research and Technology, Ministry of Development with the contribution of the European Union.

Text and photos are based on the book ‘From Pentelikon to the Parthenon’, by Manolis Korres, professor at the School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens.

The production was implemented by the company Athens Technology Center S.A.

Production

Athens Technology Center S.A.

Scientific Consultant

Manolis Korres

Production Management

Nikos Desypris

Art Direction

Angelos Kovotsos

Graphics Design

Louiza Karageorgiou

Animation Design

Spicy Toons – Character design and artwork are by Alecos Papadatos and color is by Annie Di Donna

3D Graphics

Stelios Mamalis

Application programming

Evi Varsou

Adaptation to the Web

Paul Brigden & Sofia Vasileiou

Graphics

Eleni Lazarou & Sofia Goudani

Video Animation

Eleni Lazarou

English Translation

Alexandra Douma

Scientific Copyediting

Eleni Behraki

Narration

Piriklis Moustakis

Music and sound effects

Platonas Andritsakis & Nikos Papadogoulas

The production was partially funded by the General Secreatariat of Research and Technology, Ministry of Development with the contribution of the European Union

Contact us

Contact Details

Rizariou 10
Athens, Greece
+30 210 6874300
info@atc.gr
www.atc.gr