Xygremos Mine Tunnels
The antimony mining complex encompassed three interconnected mine tunnels. The entrance to one of these can be found in an area the locals call “Xygremos”. Of course, the main attraction and primary source of ore was the primary gallery and tunnel at Pigadi, where a shaft 85 metres deep was excavated. Mining here was a labour-intensive task, conducted in dark tunnels with chisels, wedges and sledgehammers. Miners would use iron lamps filled with olive oil to see in these underground tunnels.
It’s worth noting that the pre-industrial and industrial buildings such as those that visitors can see here are considered historical monuments. They can be found scattered throughout Greece and while not all of them have been developed equally, they’re nevertheless vital parts of the country’s cultural heritage.
Buildings or building complexes, and their industrial machinery and equipment, tools and archives can provide valuable insights into the past and reveal older techniques but also the way of life of the people who used them or lived near them. Such monuments are crucial to our knowledge of industrial and pre-industrial society. After all, just like the tunnels at Xygremos, these places are an intrinsic part of the local history as well as noteworthy examples of industrial archaeology.