Marble Extraction and its Industry: a Multidisciplinary Case Study of the Vathi Quarry on Tinos Island

Through an analysis of the tool marks, imprints on the parent rock, unfinished objects, and the waste left behind, quarries provide a wealth of information about the organisation, manufacturing process, transportation, and the broader stone trade and production they supported. Adopting an intra-cross-craft approach, scholars studying stone craft can gain a deeper understanding of the various stages of production, starting at the primary level of the quarry and the more expansive stages of artefact production. Recent investigations on the island of Tinos have brought to light several quarries that had not previously undergone in-depth exploration. This paper considers such a newly discovered quarry as a case study. Through an interdisciplinary methodology, it aims to present new perspectives on both the ancient and modern marble industries in the Cycladic Islands. This paper seeks to expand our understanding of the marble terrain in each region from a range of topographical, archaeological, geological, and historical perspectives and highlight the use of marble with unique qualities, extraction techniques, and production processes.