Chios Research Articles

An innovative approach to the protection of cultural heritage: The case of cultural routes in Chios Island, Greece

In this study, the role of cultural routes in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage context in rural areas is examined within the frame of sustainable and spatial development. The main objective is the development of an integrated strategic plan for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, through the implementation of an innovative methodological approach for the organization and management of cultural routes, incorporating standardized processes with information technology. The proposed methodology is applied on two routes of natural and cultural importance in Chios Island. A Geographic Information System is used as a decision support tool. Spatial data consisted of digitized maps of the study areas, whereas attribute data consisted of in situ observations, featuring the current state of the sites, data from a previous study on the paths and procedures according to ISO 9001. Furthermore, Legal and Spatial Frameworks set the terms and directions on cultural and environmental protection and potential development factors. The comparison between the two elaborated thematic maps (current state and previous study) highlighted the problems related to the preservation state of the study areas: a small percentage of the proposed interventions in 1999 were implemented, whilst the routes have been left abandoned ever since. Additionally, the regions accept severe pressures and risks by growing urbanization tendencies. Final proposals for the protection and promotion of the study areas followed two levels of analysis: the routes and their environment, including conservation interventions and protection zones, as well as the organization of alternative tourism activities. As a result of the proposed study, it is shown that integrated planning through standardized procedures for the management of cultural routes as unified cultural systems, can contribute to the sustainable protection and promotion of cultural heritage in rural areas, offering economic development, social cohesion and cultural as well as the protection of natural resources.

Mineralogy, geochemistry and physical properties of bentonites from the Western Thrace Region and the islands of Samos and Chios, East Aegean, Greece

AbstractGreece is a major bentonite producer, with Milos Island being one of the largest bentonite mining centres in the world. In addition to the bentonite deposits which are well known, various other occurrences exist in the islands of Chios and Samos, Eastern Aegean and in some areas of Thrace, in NE Greece. These bentonites are associated with volcanic activity and their age ranges from Lower Oligocene in Thrace, to Lower–Middle Miocene in Chios and to Upper Miocene in Samos. Although some of these materials have been utilized since ancient times (e.g.the Samian Earth), these bentonites have been mined only at a local scale. In this study the first data on the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of these bentonites are presented.The Samos bentonites of UpperMiocene age are medium–lowgrade (40–70% smectite) and crop out in the SE margin of the Karlovasi Basin formed at the expense of acidic pyroclastic flows mainly in a subaeriallacustrine environment. They consist mainly of Ca-rich medium–high-charge montmorillonite, opal-CT and sanidine with minor quartz and locallymordenite. The Chios bentonites of Lower–MiddleMiocene agewere formed at the expense of trachyandesitic tuffs in a lacustrine environment in the Neogene Basin at theSEpart of the island. They consist mainly of Ca,Mg-rich high-charge montmorillonite (33–75%), similar to the SAz-1, and opal-CT, minor plagioclase, chlorite, plagioclase, carbonates and traces of talc and serpentine. In Thrace, LowerOligocene pyroclastic flows, tuffs and lavas of acidic-intermediate compositionwere altered to zeolites and bentonites in the sedimentary basins of the Feres-Pefka, Skaloma and Sappes areas. The parent pyroclastic rockswere altered to Ca-rich and in places,Na-rich, dioctahedralmontmorillonite or Fe-rich beidellite (Sappes area) and with minor opal-CT,mordenite, quartz, plagioclase and, in places, illite. The bentonites are medium–high grade (50–58% smectite in Feres-Pefka, 74–86% in Skaloma and 29–40% in Sappes).The bentonites havemoderate cation exchange capacity andmoderate/lowswelling index and viscosity and they are not suitable for the drilling and foundry industries. However, preliminary results show that after processing, most of the depositsmight be utilized in high added-value applications such as bleaching earths or in the synthesis of clay-based polymer nanocomposites.

Effectof Nebulised 3% Hypertonic Saline in Children Hospitalized with Typical Viral Bronchiolitis.

Objective:To s tu d y th e ef f ect o f a d d it io n o f f req u e n tly n eb u li sed 3 % h yp e r to n ic sa l in e to th e sta n d a rd th e ra p y o f in fa n ts h o sp ita li zed w it h vi r a l b ro n ch io li ti s . De sig n: Prospective, randomized control study Setting:A tertiary care teaching hospital in Kanchipuram Participants:100 Children aged 2 months to 18 months who are admitted to the hospital for the treatment of moderately severe viral bronchiolitis Methods:3 ml of nebulised study solution containing 3% hypertonic saline is given along with standard therapy of Nebulised salbutamol with supportive therapy like oxygen,i.v. fluids &paracetamol for 50 randomly selected children Outcome measured:Length of stay in hospital Results :Among 100 children with bronchiolitis, Mean length of hospital stay of the 50 children in study group as 71.8 hours while that of the 50 children in control group was 111.12 hours (p = 0.00). Conclusion:Th e u se o f n eb u li sed 3 % h yp e rto n ic sa lin e in t rea t in g vi ra l b ro n ch io l it is in mo d e ra te ly i ll h o sp ita li zed ch i ld ren u p to a g e o f 1 8 mo n th s r ed u ce s l en g th o f sta y in h o sp i ta l.

Music therapy groups with children at transit refugee camps in Chios Island, Greece

Introduction: Forced migration, a difficult and pervasive long-term experience, holds additional vulnerability for refugee children. Chios Island has become a first port of entry for many refugees fleeing from their homeland due to war conflicts or austerity issues, during the last year.Methodology: One-off music therapy open group sessions were conducted for children at the transit refugee camps. Data used for analysis and triangulation included researcher notes, pictures, videos and journals kept by other volunteers, who participated in the sessions with the music therapist.Case presentation: A model of psychosocial and psycho-emotional first aid through music intervention for refugee children was designed and was held for a period of 6 months. Children aged 2–17 participated in groups of 25 up to 90 individuals. The music intervention offered a safe and creative environment.Discussion: During a stressful and disruptive life period for refugee children, music sessions provide a non-verbal form of commun...

Alan Greaves. The land of Ionia: society and economy in the Archaic period

Ionia has been a key region in the political history of the ancient Greeks throughout the Archaic period. Although geographically it was peripheral to mainland Greece, located across the Aegean, it has been the epicenter of most events that have shaped ancient Greek culture. The region, more specifically the central part of the Western Anatolian coast and the islands of Chios and Samos, has been one of the focal points of Classical Archaeology practice since the 19th century. However, since then most of the effort has been confined to the excavation of temples and large town centers as well as the reconstruction of monumental buildings. In other words, Ionian archaeology mostly just fleshed out the past as offered by the literary sources.

The Oregano plants of Chios Island (Greece): Essential oils of Origanum onites L. growing wild in different habitats

Oregano herbs have wide culinary uses and industrial applications due to the high antioxidant and other activity of their main essential oil compound, carvacrol. Among the oregano herbs, Origanum onites (known as “Turkish oregano”, “Island oregano” or “Cretan oregano”) is a narrowly distributed East Mediterranean species occurring mainly in Turkey and Greece, which comprises one of the major herbs of the oregano trade worldwide. We examine the essential oils of O. onites plants collected from 42 localities scattered along the total range of the species on Chios, a Greek island bordering with the Turkish mainland. We focus on the essential oil yield and five oil compounds, namely carvacrol, thymol, borneol and the biosynthetic precursors of the first two, i.e., p-cymene and γ-terpinene, in relation to the habitat type, geological substrate, altitude, bioclimatic area and geographical location, where the collected plants were growing on the island. We also discuss our results in relation to the essential oil based distinction between O. onites and another commercially important East Mediterranean oregano herb, namely Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (known as “Greek oregano”). The determined essential oil yield (3.0–7.0mL/100g of dry leaves and inflorescences) and carvacrol content (69.0–92.6%) of the examined O. onites plants from Chios are among the highest reported for this species. The essential oil yield and the content of the five compounds were not found to vary in relation to the different environmental factors examined. These findings let us conclude that the wild oregano of Chios is a valuable natural resource with a high potential for industrial use, due to its high essential oil yield and carvacrol content, that are not influenced by environmental conditions. Moreover, based on our results and recent literature we conclude that O. onites can be distinguished from O. vulgare subsp. hirtum based on the relative content of carvacrol, thymol, borneol and p-cymene – primarily borneol – in the two taxa’s essential oils, a useful means of distinction when the botanical identity of fragmented commercial oregano products is questioned.

Lichens and Lichenicolous Fungi from the Island of Chios (Aegean Sea, Greece)

Abstract: Sipman, H. J. M. & Raus, T. 2015. Lichens and lichenicolous fungi from the island of Chios (Aegean Sea, Greece). — Herzogia 28: 496–519. A 3-week fieldwork on the island of Chios, East Aegean Islands, Greece revealed the presence of 381 lichenized and 9 lichenicolous fungi. These are the highest published figures for any Greek island apart from Crete and give an indication how many species can be expected on other islands. 33 species are recorded for the first time from Greece, some of which are probably favoured by special habitat conditions, viz. the occurrence of metal-rich rock and the above-average cold winter climate of the NE Aegean. Most species have wide distribution ranges, but nine species are range-restricted in Greece, the southern Balkans and adjacent Turkey.

Colour sorting of translucent samples

Automated quality control and sorting based on computer vision techniques has been a long celebrated practice in industrial processes and production. Among the surface characteristics that guide the decision making in such systems, the colour holds a prominent position. This gets somehow complicated in cases dealing with translucent samples or samples with a significant amount of transparency and yet distinctive colour hues. The scope of this paper is to provide a method to tackle with such cases and presents a successful application to the world-renowned mastiha of Chios, a natural aromatic translucent resin extracted from the mastic tree that grows on the island of Chios, Greece.

Sun, wind, and the rebirth of extractive economies: renewable energy investment and metanarratives of crisis in Greece

In the midst of economic crisis, the Greek state has taken the unprecedented step of opening many of the nation's closed business sectors to international investors. Opportunities for multinational investment have been most prolific in the arena of renewable energy, where foreign prospecting in solar and wind energy is soaring. This article discusses two renewable energy initiatives: photovoltaic parks on agricultural land in Thessaly, central mainland Greece, and a planned wind farm development on the Aegean island of Chios. Among the people of Thessaly and Chios, the renewable energy initiatives are widely seen in terms of conquest and occupation akin to the Ottoman era and the Second World War. Harnessing natural resources is perceived to be a colonial programme of economic extraction associated with the global South as much as a sustainable energy initiative, heralding a return to a time of foreign occupation. This article examines the dialectical relationship emerging between narratives of renewable energy extraction and broader, long‐standing conceptions of Greek identity.

Diversity of the genus Eumerus Meigen (Diptera, Syrphidae) on the eastern Mediterranean islands with description of three new species

SummaryA list of 25 species of the genus Eumerus Meigen (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the eastern Mediterranean islands is presented. Descriptions are given for three new species: Eumerus aurofinis Grković, Vujić & Radenković n. sp. from Lesvos, Samos, Rhodes islands (Greece) and Bozdağ mountain (Turkey), E. torsicus Grković & Vujić n. sp. from Chios Island (Greece) and Cyprus; E. crassus Grković, Vujić & Radenković n. sp. from Lesvos Island (Greece). In addition to classical morphological characters, mitochondrial COI barcode sequences were generated for several specimens of two available taxa. The status of Eumerus alpinus Rondani, 1857 is revised, and the taxon is resurrected from synonymy of E. olivaceus Loew, 1848. The zoogeographical significance of the described endemic taxa to the biodiversity of the Aegean islands is discussed.

Ethnic identity and cultural elements: Students' views

Ethnic identity, as a symbolic construction, is structured through a complex and multi-faceted process, which is in constant evolution. From childhood to adolescence ethnic identity is shaped by experiences and representations, whereas the importance that children give in ethnic identity is growing year by year. The purpose of this paper is to explore the aspects of Greek students’ ethnic identity in compulsory education and their association with the feeling of origin and the preservation of cultural elements. The sample is composed of 327 students in Chios island. In conclusion, an ambivalence emerges in the formation of ethnic identity, which highlights the acculturational osmosis of the islands in the North Aegean Sea, in an era of ' fluidity ' and social interdependencies that spread from local to global environment.

Gardens and orchards of Kampos’ historical country mansions in Chios: an early trace of landscape architecture in Greece

The Greek island of Chios boasts a long and impressive history dating back to the Phoenicians, who are said to have named the island, and is situated at the Northeastern Aegean Sea, very close to t...

Phytogeographical affinities at the crossroads of two continents: Distribution patterns of Lamiaceae in Chios Island (East Aegean Islands, Greece) and Çeşme–Karaburun Peninsula (West Anatolia, Turkey)

The East Aegean (East Aegean Islands, Greece and West Anatolia, Turkey) is a biogeographically transitional region, where biodiversity elements from Europe and Asia join. However, affinities in the region were until recently scarcely explored. We assess biogeographical affinities in the East Aegean focusing on distribution patterns of Lamiaceae plants in Chios Island and its adjacent Cesme–Karaburun Peninsula. Detailed in-situ record was acquired for 48 native species. These were grouped based on their habitat and geological substrate preference, their distribution was mapped in grid cells and distribution patterns were analysed in relation to species groupings. In both Chios and Cesme–Karaburun, species follow five distribution patterns: widespread, locally widespread, locally restricted, sporadic and rare. Fifty to 62% of the species exhibit similar distribution patterns, trends in habitat and geological substrate preference in Chios and Cesme–Karaburun, results complying with previous evidence of close...

Phytogeographical affinities at the crossroads of two continents: Distribution patterns of Lamiaceae in Chios Island (East Aegean Islands, Greece) and Çeşme–Karaburun Peninsula (West Anatolia, Turkey)

The East Aegean (East Aegean Islands, Greece and West Anatolia, Turkey) is a biogeographically transitional region, where biodiversity elements from Europe and Asia join. However, affinities in the region were until recently scarcely explored. We assess biogeographical affinities in the East Aegean focusing on distribution patterns of Lamiaceae plants in Chios Island and its adjacent Çeşme–Karaburun Peninsula. Detailed in-situ record was acquired for 48 native species. These were grouped based on their habitat and geological substrate preference, their distribution was mapped in grid cells and distribution patterns were analysed in relation to species groupings. In both Chios and Çeşme–Karaburun, species follow five distribution patterns: widespread, locally widespread, locally restricted, sporadic and rare. Fifty to 62% of the species exhibit similar distribution patterns, trends in habitat and geological substrate preference in Chios and Çeşme–Karaburun, results complying with previous evidence of close biogeographical affinities of the East Aegean Islands and neighbouring Anatolia. Differences observed between the two regions may be attributed to insularity effects, human impact and the melange, an old rock matrix known for its key role in elucidating regional geodynamic evolution. Distributions of widespread and locally widespread species in Chios give evidence of density compensation and niche shifts responses, however, the actual occurrence of these phenomena in island plant populations is still to be elucidated. Overall, the species distribution patterns, particularly those of rare ones, reflect the complex geological history, palaeogeography and human influence in the Aegean region.

Sexual reproduction of the Lessepsian seagrass Halophila stipulacea in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract Sexual reproduction has hardly ever been reported in the Lessepsian seagrass Halophila stipulacea in the Mediterranean Sea. In the present study, fertile plants bearing fruits are reported for the first time from the North Aegean Sea, and for the second time from the whole Mediterranean Basin, confirming a successful and complete sexual reproduction of the species in the Mediterranean environment. In August 2012 on Chios Island, a large population of this plant in the northernmost limit of its Aegean Sea distribution was found and it was concluded that the fertility of the plants could be a response to the warming of the Mediterranean Sea, and may suggest that a further expansion of the species is occurring.

SLAVES, STORIES, AND CULTS

This article examines a dramatic story about a slave rebellion on the island of Chios and argues that such stories were the medium through which masters and slaves negotiated compromise between the slaves' desire to be free and the masters' desire to control their slaves. This interpretation arises from a recognition of the complexity of a story that on the one hand celebrates the triumphs of a heroic slave over his masters, but on the other hand suggests that such resistance can be contained if masters treat their slaves humanely. Numerous parallels are drawn with contemporaneous and later historical societies involving compromises between subordinate groups and those who would control them. Finally, the article demonstrates that religious cults could be a medium for negotiating a middle ground, and that the story of the slave hero on Chios illustrates this function by making the slave the object of cultic worship by both masters and slaves.

Dromokaition Psychiatric Hospital of Athens: from its establishment in 1887 to the era of deinstitutionalization.

Dromokaition Psychiatric Hospital opened its doors in 1887, following the donation made by Zorzis Dromokaitis from the island of Chios. Private donations and all forms of charities had contributed to a large extent in the establishment of hospitals across Greece, during the late 19th and the early 20th century. Dromokaition was one of them but it was also unique, as it was the first psychiatric hospital in Athens, admitting patients from every part of the country. This paper aimed at highlighting the long service of the institution through the different historical periods the country went through. We present the chronicle of its foundation, the development of its inner structure, and the medical and organizational influences which it received, along the way. The therapeutic methods used during the first decades of its operation reflected the corresponding European standards of the time. As a model institution from its foundation, it followed closely the prevailing European guidelines, throughout its historical path, either as an independent institution or as an integrated one within the National Health Service.

Genetic relationships among four Turkish sheep breeds using microsatellites

The genetic structure of 4 Turkish breeds of sheep, Gokceada, Kivircik, Karacabey Merino, and Sakiz (SZ), was analyzed by genotyping with 17 microsatellite markers in 250 individuals. The microsatellites showed high levels of polymorphism, with means for total and effective number of alleles per locus of 20.71 and 7.04, respectively. The average observed and expected heterozygosity values were 0.66 and 0.87, respectively. It was found that a higher level of breed admixture existed in the 4 breeds, which was an important finding. It was also found that 7.9% of genetic variation resulted from difference between the populations, whereas 92.1% resulted from difference between individuals. Our results showed that the used microsatellite markers were adequately polymorphic and can be successfully used for investigating genetic diversity in the 4 breeds studied. The genetic variation in Turkish breeds was not significantly higher than that of European breeds, which might be a consequence of the recent sharp decrease in sheep numbers.

The Development Status and Prospects of a Medieval Settlement in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Case of Mesta, Chios

The present paper treats the diachronic evolution of Mesta, a medieval settlement in Chios island, with the aim to investigate the circumstances under which the urban landscape managed to remain nearly intact until today. Scientists from different disciplines have studied the medieval settlements of Chios; however, very few have focused on the evolution of their urban landscape. This research is based on anthropogeographical and other urban-geographical characteristics of the settlement through the nineteenth and twentieth century, which are recorded with the use of computer-aided cartography (ArcGIS) and intends to (a) study the changes in the urban development of the settlement, (b) provide evidence to justify these changes, (c) study the current institutional framework on the protection and promotion of traditional settlements, (d) examine the initiative taken for the protection and promotion of this historical settlement and (e) introduce further suggestions for the protection, conservation and development of the settlement in modern reality.

Revisión de los mantíspidos de la Península Ibérica y Baleares (Insecta, Neuropterida, Neuroptera, Mantispidae)

In this review all existing information on the four species of mantispids lacewings (Insecta, Neuropterida, Neuroptera: Mantispidae) present in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands is reported. Based on the known general data on this family and on these species, an identification key to the Iberian species is included. On the basis of this Iberian information and of the new material now studied, new data on their morphology, biology and geographical, phenological and altitudinal distribution in the study area are noted. It is suggested that there are at least two annual cycles in most of the Iberian species. New and interesting data on the biology and reproductive behavior of imagoes and on the pre-imaginal stages of some species are recorded, and some previously known data are discussed. A new species, Mantispa incorrupta n. sp. , is described, which seems to represent the vicariant species in the western Mediterranean of Mantispa scabricollis McLachlan, 1875, a Pontomediterranean species recorded from Europe in the Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios and Rhodes. A new synonymy: Mantispa Illiger en Kugelann, 1798 = Afromantispa Snyman & Ohl, 2012 n. syn. is propossed.