A Visit to the Volcanic Aeolian Islands
During the night and early morning, the National Geographic Endeavour sailed from Corsica on a gentle sea heading for the Aeolian Islands, where the Greek god of the winds, Aeolus, supposedly had sequestered all his charges in a cave. Fortunately for us, his winds slept quietly during our entire passage to Lipari, the chief island of this chain located about 40 kilometers off Milazzo on Sicily’s northern coast.
Although unfamiliar to many who have traveled extensively in Europe, this chain of seven small volcanic islands and numerous islets in the vast expanse of the Mediterranean Sea played a major role in early history. They were an important source of obsidian, a hard black volcanic stone used for tools during the Neolithic times. In defiance of Aeolus and his winds, some of the first intrepid ancient mariners on this timeless sea came to these isles c. 5000-6000 BC and began a trade in this important commodity throughout the Mediterranean. Because of their strategic location, these isles have seen many conquerors come and go. In antiquity the Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans exercised hegemony over this region. The earliest skirmish in the naval theater of the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage (264-241 BC) was fought here. Although Rome lost this first encounter, this engagement marked the start of its creation of a Mediterranean thalassocracy. En route to Lipari, I talked of Rome’s ascendancy as a naval power in the Mediterranean and the great Athenian naval defeat in 413 BC at Siracusa, the next stop on our expedition. History resonates in this part of the world, and on Lipari it is almost palatable.
But our voyage to the Aeolian Islands had nothing to do with the drums of war. Our destination of discovery was the largest island in this chain. Lipari is rightfully famous for its spectacular natural vistas, dramatic geology and its rich maritime archaeological heritage. After another seamless Zodiac landing, we walked to our buses to begin our round the island exploration with a first stop at Quattropani for a panoramic view of the archipelago and a chance to purchase samples of the island’s famous herbs, local wine and pieces of obsidian and pumice. Then we motored on to some quarries where pumice has been mined and exported for millennia. We returned to the town of Lipari for a walk through its quaint streets followed by a gentle climb to a Spanish castle that now houses one of Italy’s finest regional museums. In particular, the superb permanent collection of Greek and Roman antiquities features a rich collection of underwater artifacts recovered from Aeolian waters. It affords such a vivid testimony to the rich maritime heritage of these ancient islands that, as a marine archaeologist, I could easily fashion a comprehensive introductory course to this field using this collection alone.
Before, during and after an excellent dinner of pasta putanesca, we viewed a spectacular sunset through the other volcanic islands of this archipelago. Our destination was Stromboli, presently the only continuously active Aeolian volcano. During our morning entry sail to Lipari, it had welcomed us with huge plumes of smoke. As we held off the c.1,000 m high island at night, we had high hopes that god of volcanoes, Vulcan, would not disappoint us. He did not. Numerous splashes of flames burst forth from the crater at irregular intervals to illuminate the starlit sky. These stunning natural fireworks reminded us of nature’s magnificent, awesome power. Finally, it was time even for the hardiest of expedition members to snatch a few hours of sleep before the National Geographic Endeavour would sail on to the Straits of Messina and then to Siracusa.
During the night and early morning, the National Geographic Endeavour sailed from Corsica on a gentle sea heading for the Aeolian Islands, where the Greek god of the winds, Aeolus, supposedly had sequestered all his charges in a cave. Fortunately for us, his winds slept quietly during our entire passage to Lipari, the chief island of this chain located about 40 kilometers off Milazzo on Sicily’s northern coast.
Although unfamiliar to many who have traveled extensively in Europe, this chain of seven small volcanic islands and numerous islets in the vast expanse of the Mediterranean Sea played a major role in early history. They were an important source of obsidian, a hard black volcanic stone used for tools during the Neolithic times. In defiance of Aeolus and his winds, some of the first intrepid ancient mariners on this timeless sea came to these isles c. 5000-6000 BC and began a trade in this important commodity throughout the Mediterranean. Because of their strategic location, these isles have seen many conquerors come and go. In antiquity the Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans exercised hegemony over this region. The earliest skirmish in the naval theater of the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage (264-241 BC) was fought here. Although Rome lost this first encounter, this engagement marked the start of its creation of a Mediterranean thalassocracy. En route to Lipari, I talked of Rome’s ascendancy as a naval power in the Mediterranean and the great Athenian naval defeat in 413 BC at Siracusa, the next stop on our expedition. History resonates in this part of the world, and on Lipari it is almost palatable.
But our voyage to the Aeolian Islands had nothing to do with the drums of war. Our destination of discovery was the largest island in this chain. Lipari is rightfully famous for its spectacular natural vistas, dramatic geology and its rich maritime archaeological heritage. After another seamless Zodiac landing, we walked to our buses to begin our round the island exploration with a first stop at Quattropani for a panoramic view of the archipelago and a chance to purchase samples of the island’s famous herbs, local wine and pieces of obsidian and pumice. Then we motored on to some quarries where pumice has been mined and exported for millennia. We returned to the town of Lipari for a walk through its quaint streets followed by a gentle climb to a Spanish castle that now houses one of Italy’s finest regional museums. In particular, the superb permanent collection of Greek and Roman antiquities features a rich collection of underwater artifacts recovered from Aeolian waters. It affords such a vivid testimony to the rich maritime heritage of these ancient islands that, as a marine archaeologist, I could easily fashion a comprehensive introductory course to this field using this collection alone.
Before, during and after an excellent dinner of pasta putanesca, we viewed a spectacular sunset through the other volcanic islands of this archipelago. Our destination was Stromboli, presently the only continuously active Aeolian volcano. During our morning entry sail to Lipari, it had welcomed us with huge plumes of smoke. As we held off the c.1,000 m high island at night, we had high hopes that god of volcanoes, Vulcan, would not disappoint us. He did not. Numerous splashes of flames burst forth from the crater at irregular intervals to illuminate the starlit sky. These stunning natural fireworks reminded us of nature’s magnificent, awesome power. Finally, it was time even for the hardiest of expedition members to snatch a few hours of sleep before the National Geographic Endeavour would sail on to the Straits of Messina and then to Siracusa.
