Metallon

The Greek term metallon may refer to either a mine or a quarry, whether used for the extraction of rock, ore, or salt. In this sense, it does not denote the nature of the resources themselves, but rather their shared origin: the subsurface. This common provenance opens the door to a cross-disciplinary reflection on the exploitation and management of such resources in ancient Greece. In recent decades, the study of the past has seen a growing interest in environmental questions. A key dimension of this research concerns the relationship between ancient societies and their environment: how did human groups interact with their surroundings to meet their needs, build infrastructure, or produce everyday objects? In this field, the rise of interdisciplinary approaches – at the intersection of archaeological sciences and historical inquiry – combined with recent methodological advances, has led to major developments in the field.