Methana Volcano

The Methana volcano peninsula is situated approximately 50 km southeast of Athens in Greece.

Geological history

The Methana peninsula contains some 32 volcanoes, that are mostly andesitic / dacitic lava domes.The volcanic activity in the peninsula began one million years ago and continued 950-550.000 ,600-100.000,380-270.000,80-40.000,60-40.000 and 30-10.000 years ago. The last eruptions took place in 1700 at a submarine volcano north of Kameni Chora. On land there is also the historic lava dome of Kameni Chora that erupted in 230 BC. Methana is the north-west part of the cycladic volcanoes that are defined as active (Milos, Santorini and Nisyros). The rocks are mostly dacites and andesites. On Methana there are thermal springs and mofettes (gas exhalations). Methana is cut by many tectonic faults and so it is an area in high danger of earthquakes. The mayor fault cuts the town of Methana from west to east. The fault can be visited in the valley behind the thermal springs and it is visible on the modern map of Methana 1:25000 (ETH-Zurich / Dr. L.Hurni).

Archaeological history

The Methana peninsula is inhabited since about 10.000 B.C. First settlements have been founded about 6000 B.C. Excavations have brought to light a village and sanctuary from Mycenaean times near the town of Methana at the chapel of St. Constantine & Helen. The items from the time of about 1500-1200 B.C. are to be visitesd in the museums of Poros island and in Piraeus city. There have been ancient sanctuaries in geometric times about 800-700 B.C. like the geometric temple near Kounoupitsa village. There are about two ancient acropoles (Paliocastro acropolis and Oga acropolis) and many ancient farm sites. The ancient writers Ovid, Strabo and Pausanias described the historic eruption of the volcano dome near the village of Kameni Hora in the northwestern part of the Methana peninsula. Pausanias also described hot springs after the eruption. Later there were many new buildings and sanctuaries founded near the village Vathy at the Paliocastro hill and around it. Methana was also a phoenician base and called "Arsinoe".

In the mid-ages there have been built many Byzantine chapels and there was the beginning of villages like Megalohori and Kounoupitsa. In the time of about 1500-1700 new inhabitants moved from today's southern Albania to Methana.