Underwater exploration of Lavrion Mines!

In the area of Agios Konstantinos and Plaka, the main network of mining galleries is located, covering an area from Keratea to Legrena and Sounio. There, mining activity was more intense due to rich minerals.

As Historical Markouli-Bondioti Ath. notes in her text: “The sulfur mineralization of the bodies had been oxidized to the level of the aquifer and the oxidized parts were those that appeared on the surface and were exploited by the ancients.

The in-depth expansion of the sulphide-based layers was obviously known to the ancient Greeks, but they were not fully exploited due to lack of know-how. ” In modern times the exploitation of these mines by the French Company continued in these layers, due to the emergence and use of new technologies.

On the 19th of November 2019 the team furthered the filming of the mine at the area of Agios Konstantinos (Saint Constantine) which they had visited twice in July of 2019.

The support team transported the diving gear 120 meters below ground level to the entrance of the flooded section of this mine. The divers managed to map and connect all four underwater passages confirming these interconnect. The three different underwater passages can be found directly below the flooded area where the divers initially enter the water. Whilst the fourth is located in another dry section of the mine adjacent to this area and has a narrow entrance with a downwards slope leading to a flooded section with a railtrack.

The divers located this new entrance/exit point as can be seen in the video. By chance, one of the support team members happened to be in this area surveying at the exact same time the divers were aproaching underwater. She shined her torch from the outside as soon as she saw the lights from the divers and realised they were approaching.

Ηere is another video of the same team for the Underwater Exploration of Mine 80.