Athens and Attica Week 5: Athena Nike Temple, Propylaia, Thorikos, Laurion Museum, Laurion

Our first week back in Athens was a short one. On Thursday morning, we met at the Acropolis from which we could see snow on the mountains.

Margie talked to us about the Temple of Athena Nike and the Old Propylon, little of which remains because the newer Propyla (437 BCE) have taken its place.

On Friday we took the bus to Thorikos where Mike gave his report on the theater and deme site. We saw a misshapen tholos tomb (it was more of an oval than circle),

an actually circular tholos,

the theater,

and a Doric stoa

the column drums of which were covered in some pretty old graffiti.

On our way to the Laurion silver mines, we stopped at the Laurion museum.

At the mines, Will Bruce talked to us about the process of silver mining and washing.

Before heading back, we also stopped to have a look at the "Chaos Hole," a giant chasm in the earth.