The rock inscriptions, graffiti and crosses from Quarry GO3C at Göktepe, Muğla district (Turkey)

This paper discusses some of the results of a geo-archaeological survey conducted in 2014 in the marble quarries at Göktepe near Muğla (the ancient region of Caria). During the survey we examined a dossier of both already known and newly recorded rock inscriptions and textual and pictorial graffiti (prominently including crosses) from District 3, Quarry C (= Quarry GO3C). Here, we aim to explore the contents and spatial contexts of these texts and images, and consider them in relation to the pottery finds and literary sources, in order to throw new light on the history of the quarry. The texts and images suggest that at some point the site was abandoned as a quarry and, probably already in late antiquity, resettled by hermits.

Usability of Marble Waste as a Road Base Material, Case Study of Bilecik Province

As a result of the constantly increasing needs, developments in technology and industry cause an increase in waste. With the increase of wastes, it has become necessary to recycle wastes in order to reduce the environmental problems that arise. For this purpose, many sectors try to minimize the expenses during the manufacturing stages, energy consumption, raw material, and space usage as much as possible. In the construction industry, where raw material consumption is the highest, the most consumed raw material is aggregate. Approximately 95% of the materials used in road constructions consist of aggregate, and the aggregate used is obtained from the quarries. The need for aggregate quarries is increasing day by day and the general structure of the earth is partially deformed. In this context, the wastes generated in the marble quarries of Bilecik province were evaluated as road base material according to the Turkey Highways Technical Specification (TKTŞ). Laboratory experiments defined in TKTŞ were carried out and the results showed that marble wastes can be used as road base material. As a result, using marble wastes as road base material will provide an environmental and economic benefit.

A New Database of the Quantitative Cathodoluminescence of the Main Quarry Marbles Used in Antiquity

Quantitative cathodoluminescence (CL) has rarely been applied for the archaeometric studies concerning marble provenance, despite its potential. This paper develops the method and provides a new database of the parameters obtained from the main marble quarries used in antiquity. With a total number of 473 marble samples from ten districts of the central and eastern Mediterranean, it is the first database on quantitative CL, with the additional advantage of being the same samples that have already characterized by other conventional techniques and that are available in the literature. Focused on the measurements of the intensity peaks at the UV and visible spectra, registered by a spectrometer coupled to a scanning electron microscope (CL-SEM), the representative values are plotted on different useful diagrams to be applied in the identification of marble provenance studies, as a complementary tool of other analyses.

Monitoring of Strain and Temperature in an Open Pit Using Brillouin Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors

Marble quarries are quite dangerous environments in which rock falls may occur. As many workers operate in these sites, it is necessary to deal with the matter of safety at work, checking and monitoring the stability conditions of the rock mass. In this paper, some results of an innovative analysis method are shown. It is based on the combination of Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors (DOFS), digital photogrammetry through Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), topographic, and geotechnical monitoring systems. Although DOFS are currently widely used for studying infrastructures, buildings and landslides, their use in rock marble quarries represents an element of peculiarity. The complex morphologies and the intense temperature range that characterize this environment make this application original. The selected test site is the Lorano open pit which is located in the Apuan Alps (Italy); here, a monitoring system consisting of extensometers, crackmeters, clinometers and a Robotic Total Station has been operating since 2012. From DOFS measurements, strain and temperature values were obtained and validated with displacement data from topographic and geotechnical instruments. These results may provide useful fundamental indications about the rock mass stability for the safety at work and the long-term planning of mining activities.

Regression analysis and statistical examination of Knoop Hardness on abrasion resistance in Lyca Beige Marbles

Marbles are secondary decomposition products formed by metamorphism of limestone. Effective classification of marble quarries in terms of quality enables the selection of a sustainable production method and safety application. This evaluation is based on physico-mechanical properties of the samples. Obtained results of physico-mechanical properties of the marbles were statistically analyzed using Stata 14 and SPSS 21 software. The marbles indicated mostly normal physical and mechanical properties. A strong inverse relationship exists between Abrasion Value and Knoop Hardness Determination that indicates a significant nonlinear relationship. Samples were distinguished into 3 groups of close similarity and related properties. The estimated value of the parameters is in the 95 % confidence interval. The equation obtained by regression analysis was used for the determination of resistance to abrasion.