Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/8046
Title: Petrographical and chemical research on the stone of the megalithic temples
Authors: Cassar, JoAnn
Vannucci, Sergio
Keywords: Megalithic monuments -- Malta
Malta -- Antiquities
Excavations (Archaeology) -- Malta
Petrology in archaeology -- Malta
Megalithic temples -- Malta
Globigerina limestone -- Malta
Issue Date: 2003
Publisher: The Archaeological Society
Citation: Cassar, J.A. & Vannucci, S. (2003). Petrographical and chemical research on the stone of the megalithic temples. Malta Archaeological Review, 5, 40-45
Abstract: The rocks of the Maltese archipelago are entirely sedimentary in nature, consisting of the following sequence of Oligo-Miocene (mid-Tertiary) sediments, from bottom to top: Lower Coralline Limestone, Globigerina Limestone, Blue Clay, Greensand, Upper Coralline Limestone. The Globigerina Limestone formation is made up of three members, the Lower, Middle and Upper Globigerina Limestone, separated from each other by a band of phosphatic nodules. It is the Lower Globigerina facies that is the main material employed in building construction. It can be described as a typical "soft limestone", being very easy to carve and shape; it thus forms part of the large family of Oligo-Miocene "soft limestones" which are widely diffused in the Mediterranean basin, including Turkey, Israel, Tunisia, Spain and Italy. It is a pure limestone (calcite >92%), containing small amounts of quartz, feldspars, apatite, glauconite and clay minerals. The porosity of this material is high, usually over 32%, with a high percentage of the pores being micropores (4mm in diameter). The Coralline Limestone, on the other hand, is much harder and therefore more difficult to work. It is even more pure than the Globigerina Limestone (calcite >95%), containing also small amounts of quartz, even lesser quantities of K-feldspars and some clay minerals. This facies has a low porosity of around 15% -18%
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/8046
Appears in Collections:MAR, Issue 05 (2001)
MAR, Issue 05 (2001)
Melitensia Works - ERCASHArc
Scholarly Works - FacBenCBH

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