Kythera-Family.net - for the world-wide Kytherian community: Rocks

If there’s one thing Kythera has a lot of, it’s rocks. Visitors arriving by air usually comment on the thousands of stone-wall fences that form a fine network across the island. We sometimes wonder whether people ever needed so many fences -- or if they just needed a place to put all the rocks. Most of the rocks on Kythera are sedimentary, but in the north we also find metamorphic rocks. The island is rich in calcite in many beautiful forms, including glittering crystals and massive stalactites. But it is the beach stones that often capture the imagination: smooth-polished rocks inlaid with lines and curves that form Roman numerals, Greek letters, and Euclidean diagrams.

The Museum is deeply indebted to the geologist Marcos Megaloikonomos for his generous assistance in identifying the specimens in our collection.

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	1	Calcite Calcite is a sedimentary mineral that occurs abundantly on Kythera in many structural forms. This translucent, golden-yellow... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	2	Rectangular Calcite Calcite can cleave into neat rectangular shapes. 2.5 cm long. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	3	Calcite Crystals Calcite crystals, found near Fratsia. 10 cm long. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	4	Calcite Wedge A wedge of translucent, golden calcite, 5 cm long. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	5	Banded Calcite A beautiful beach stone made of bands of calcite, pelites and limestone. 6 cm. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	6	Darkened Calcite The dark color of this piece of calcite is probably due to the presence of iron. 6 cm. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	7	Calcite A large and beautiful piece of calcite, found in a road cut near Fratsia. 16 cm across. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	8	Rhombohedral Calcite This type of calcite is opaque and milky white, and cleaves into flat, shiny surfaces. 5 cm. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	9	Calcite formed on Limestone Calcite minerals growing on a limestone host. 8 cm long. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	10	Stalagmite This large stalagmite is so beautiful, we've included two pictures of it here. 20 cm x 28 cm. A generous gift from the... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	11	Stalagmite Stalagmites and stalactites are made of calcium carbonate, and formed in caves by dripping water. This magnificent example is... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	12	Concretionary calcite This 3.5-cm piece of calcite was found in the caves beneath Kypriotianika. Photograph by Peter B Tzannes, 2004 submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	13	Calcite thumbprint This piece of calcite, growing on a host rock, is swirled and folded to look like a thumbprint. 11 cm high, found on the... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	14	Calcite rods Concretionary calcite is formed by dripping water. These ‘fingers’ are similar in structure to stalactites, and range... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	15	Travertine Travertine is a noncrystalline form of calcite, opaque, massive, and colorful. It is formed during the evaporation of water.... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	16	Graphite Graphite is one of the world’s softest minerals, and forms in masses or sheets. It is opaque black, soft and light, and has... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	17	Aragonite Aragonite has the same chemical composition as calcite, but crystallizes in a different pattern and doesn’t cleave as... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	18	Mica Foil Mica has a highly metallic luster, and when it forms in sheets over a host rock it looks as though the rock has been covered... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	19	Mica Mica is found commonly in schists, its metallic luster is unmistakable. This small piece is 2.5 cm, found in northern... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

	20	Peridotite Peridotite is an ultramafic rock found on Kythera. It may be green, dark green, or black. This rounded, conical piece has the... submitted by Museum Administration on 03.11.2004

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