Ein Karstphänomen im Heiligtum von Delphi (Griechenland

Abstract

In the sanctuary of Delphi an interesting karst phenomenon has been discovered at the northern retaining wall behind the Temple of Apollo. It is a sinter curtain of porous tufaceous limestone, 8 m wide and up to 59 cm deep. Since historical and archeological observations in the sanctuary provide very precise dates this lime precipitation must have developed within the period between 392 A.D. and 1892, a rather short period of only 1500 years. As the formation of this phenomenon must be attributed to running water, a careful investigation of springs in the area of the sanctuary was carried out. It was shown that, due to the hypsometric situation at the time of the existence of Kastri, a mediaeval village, the Kerna spring at the foot of the phaedriadic rocks must have supplied the water for Delphi - as it continues to do at a rate of 40 m3 per day. At any rate the Mediterranean climate, the relief and the SSE exposition all served to favour precipitation of lime by raising the temperature of the running water, dispersion in the atmosphere and diffusion of the C02at varying partial pressure. In the Mediterranean these conditions combine to bring about sintering processes in the karst within a very short space of time, an aspect wich might also be of interest to related disciplines for dating purposes.