The historic seaside town of Nafplio is located on the eastern Peloponesse peninsula of Greece. Nafplio (also spelled Nafplion or Nauplio) is accessible via an easy two-hour drive south of Athens. The town is close to the famous Bronze-age acropolis of Mycenae and Tiryns, both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1999. The citadels are famous for the massive Cyclopean walls, tombs, and the immense collection of Mycenaean gold masks, engraved gems, and jewelry. The Mycenaean Greek civilization flourished during the last phase of the Bronze Age in ancient Greece, from around 1600 to 1100 BC. Several discoveries from that period are on exhibit at the Archeological Museum of Nafplio.
The beautiful old city of Nafplio with its narrow alleys and streets, three Venetian fortresses, sea breeze, and panoramic views, is a favorite place for tourists and Greeks alike. The town became the capital of the first Hellenic Republic from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. The Venetian castle of Palamidi, built under Venetian rule (1685 to 1715), looms majestic over the old town. I still remember my first visit to the castle with my family as a young girl.
Nafplio’s Archeological Museum is located in the heart of the old town. The massive, three-floor stone building dominates the picturesque Syntagma Square. The building dates from 1713, when Nafplio was governed by Venetian Proveditore Augustino Sagredo, and used as the navy’s arsenal depository.
The museum’s extensive collections are displayed in the building’s two upper floors. Exhibits include objects from the Paleolithic Age, Neolithic times from 6,000-2800 BC, vases and terracotta masks from the Classical period (7th c. BC), and beautiful terracotta female figurines from the later Hellenistic period.
This story is from the September 2021 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2021 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORGAN HILL POPPY JASPER
In California, there are very few places to collect semi-precious stones. Many locations from the past have been either exhausted of the material or the land has been developed.
THE ACORN
The briolette gemstone has the same design attributes of a regular gemstone, however, the pavilion is elongated and the crown is usually domed. This is perfect for an elegant pendant, earrings or a pendulum.
HOW TO PUT A PROTECTIVE CAP ON A CAB
To protect a specimen cab, often a cap is needed. In my case, I had a slab with the because of the color of the background and the pattern. This background had a more silicified consistency than most sandstones. It had no graininess like most sandstone, so I'm inclined to compare it to a jasper. The pattern was typical of a dendrite.
The Resilient Revival of Anne Brontë & Her Stones
For the first time, the Anne Brontë rock collection underwent complete description and identification, and along with Professor Hazel Hutchison of Leeds University and Dr. Enrique Lozano Diz at ELODIZ (a company specializing in spectroscopy analysis), an analysis of that collaboration, Anne Brontë and Geology: A Study of her Collection of Stones, was published in April 2022 in Volume 47, Issue 2 of the peer-reviewed journal, Brontë Studies & Gazette.\"
Amazing Women with Rock-Solid Careers
Explorers, Geologists, Educators & Jewelry Makers...
The Case of the Bleeding Glacier
It's a gory sight called Blood Falls. Ever since British geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor first noted it in 1911, it has been a mystery.
Asteroid Samples Are Said to Hold Invaluable Secrets
If Only Scientists Can Pop the Lid!
Paleontologists Embrace a New Method for Seeing Fossils within Rock
Fossil bone can be delicate. Attempts to remove it from a hard rock matrix by picking and scratching or etching with acids can be time-consuming and/or may end up obliterating that which you hope to study.
Need a Map of the Ocean Floor?
Call in the Seals!
A Step Closer to Hydrogen, the "Climate-Friendly Fuel"
As I reported last June, the world is racing to find sustainably renewable, nonpolluting sources of energy to replace our carbon-based reserves of coal, oil and gas.