The quarries of local green-white marble, Karystias and Styrias stone (lithos), knew big growth at the Roman Times (1ος century B.C. – 2nd century A.D.) and they made the region of Karystias acquaintance in the roman world. The Karystian marble or cipollino was widely exported throughout the powerful Roman Empire and was used mainly as building material. The quarries constituted property of each Roman emperor.
The combination of the green Karystian marble with other marbles of other region it lent glamour and greatness in roman public buildings as in Hadrian’s Library in Plaka - Athens, but mainly in Rome, as the Forum of Augustus and Trajan, in the Basilica of Emilia, in the Conservatoire of Domitianoy, in Amphitheatre of Flabion, in the temples of Concord, as well as Faoystinas and Antoninoy, other and in roman private houses, as Marmurra in Rome (48 B.C.), in that is testified ancientness up to now use of Karystian marble.
The marble was named cipollino from its resemblance to an onion; it was particularly used by Herod Attic who manufactured in Olympia a platform from this material. Processed volumes of the marble are located still in the baths of Market in Ostia, in Capri, in Ormpetello, in public buildings in Sidona, in Leptis Magna, in Palmyra, in Tyre and elsewhere. His use was also continued at the Byzantine years, in important monuments, as in Saint Sofia in Constantinople, in royal Saint Dimitrios Thessaloniki and in the Abbey of Osias Lukas Fokida in Greece.
Today the visitor of Southern Karystias can see quarries groups in mountain Ochis, northern of Mills, in Aetos and in Bourros. Particularly remarkable is the place Kylindroi (Myli) in north-eastern Karystos, with fourteen monolithic marble columns, left abandoned in the building site in modern roman times. Moreover, ancient quarries can be still seen in mountain Verthela, areas Karatza and Kionia Marmari, in the villages of Vatisi-Alexi, near the top of Mount Ombores and in Nimborio at Styra. Four significant groups can also be seen in the mountainous areas of Kryo Nero and Agios Nicolaos of Styra.
More info: Archaeological Museum of Karystos - Giokaleion Foundation
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GEOLOGY OF SOUTH EVIA
Geologically, southern Evia is different from the rest of the island. Southern Evia belongs to the Attic-Cycladic Massif of crystalline metamorphic deposits, which consist of gneiss, cipollino marble, and various schists (mica, amphibole, glaucophane, sericite and chlorite schists) (see: Sutherland & Sutherland, 2002 - Journal of Cultural Heritage, Vol.3, 251–259pp.)
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The southern end of Evia has outcrops of high-pressure/low-temperature rocks named here ‘South Evia Blueschist Belt’, that are the northern extension of the intermediate level Cycladic Blueschist Unit. The South Evia Blueschist Belt consists of three imbricated nappe units, all containing a high-pressure mineral assemblage. These are, from bottom to top, the Tsaki, Styra and Ochi formations (see: Shaked, Avigad & Garfunkel, 2000 - Geol. Mag. Vol.137 (4), 367–380pp.)
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