Japanese scientists seek quake secrets in Parthenon design

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

ATHENS (AFP) — Japanese scientists will next month look into seismic resistance secrets in the design of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon which has withstood scores of quakes, a senior Greek archaeologist said on Friday.

"The Parthenon had great resilience to earthquakes, as did most classical Greek temples," Maria Ioannidou, the archeologist in charge of conservation on the ancient Acropolis citadel where the Parthenon stands, told AFP.

"The ancient Greeks apparently had very good knowledge of quake behaviour and excellent construction quality," she added.

Toshikazu Hanazato, a professor of engineering at Japan's Mie University and an expert in post-quake reconstruction, heads the Japanese research team which is visiting Greece next month to study the famed...