MONTANISTIKA INDEX SEDIMENTARY ROCKS 4 METAMORPHIC ROCKS 16 IGNEOUS ROCKS 19 Hi! In front of you is a guide that will take you into the mysterious world of the rocks of Montanistika. Some facts are revealed by the conversations between the fossils and minerals hidden in the rocks, while those more curious can find additional information in the info circles. The printed guide has been upgraded with augmented reality (AR). Find the sign next to the fossil or mineral characters and indulge in a different view of the building. SEDIMENTARY We are rudist shells that come from Kazel- ROCKS je in the Kras/Karst. Hello! Have you noticed how we are decorating the en- The Montanistika building was designed trance portal of the Montanis-in 1937 by architect France Tomažič. tika building? It’s surrounded The two hammers above the entrance by a wreath of flowers. indicate the meaning of the word mon- tanistika, which derives from the Latin word for mountain ( mons). Montanistics is the science of ores and mining and develops knowledge about the extrac- My relatives in the building will tion of minerals from the Earth's crust. tell you more about us. Now Today, the building houses the Depart- come on in, discover some ment of Geology of the Faculty of Natural different types of natural stone, and listen to the “petrified mem- Sciences and Engineering, University of ories” of its inhabitants. Ljubljana. 4 Welcome! My name is Lithiotis problematica and all the elongated white stripes are my sister lithiotides. Lithiotids are an extinct group of seashells, most Would you believe we are of which lived anchored in the muddy seabed all seashells? and, together with their shape, are reminiscent of today's noble pen shells. They lived only in the middle part of the Early Jurassic, about 180–190 million years ago. The easiest to recognize are the long, thin, uneven longitudinal sections of the genera Lithiotis and Cochlearites, but we also see the short transverse sections and shorter sections of other genera (common is Opisoma). Podpeč limestone was already quarried by the ancient Romans in the 2nd century. The stone blocks were transported along the Ljubljanica river and used to build Em-ona. Today we can see them in the remains of the Roman wall. After the decline of the Roman state, interest in the stone from I’m Cochlearites. These beautiful Podpeč dried up. Only at the end of the grey stone slabs are made of Pod-18th and into the 19th century did stone-peč limestone, which was cut in a masonry workshops reappear there. Af-quarry in Podpeč on the southern ter the devastating Ljubljana earthquake edge of the Ljubljana Moors. of 1895, a huge amount of the limestone from Podpeč was used to produce the lime needed for the reconstruction of the city. 5 I’m Lithioperna, and I would like to tel Karel Hinterlechner (1874–1932), the you that many of my sisters also adorn founder of the Slovenian geological the ground floor lobby of the Nebotičnik school and one of the first four full pro-building, the outer staircase and inner fessors at the University of Ljubljana, arcade courtyard of Ljubljana’s City was involved in geotechnical research Hal , the interior of the Slovenian Parlia-during the construction of Nebotičnik ment, and the fountain in Zvezda Park. (Ljubljana Skyscraper) between 1930 and 1932. The memorial inscription is located in the entrance hall of the skyscraper, the walls of which are also lined with Podpeč limestone. The most beautiful monument Jože Plečnik (1872–1957), Slovenia’s most im-was made by the architect Jože portant and celebrated architect, was a great Plečnik in the National and Uni-admirer of Podpeč limestone. He also used it versity Library. There, our friends in the construction of the Constitutional Court look particularly incredible in the palace, for the facade and interior of the Tri-inner colonnaded staircase and the large central lobby. glav Insurance Company palace on Miklošiče-va street, the arcades on the Market Halls, the outer staircase of the Ursuline Church, the facade of the Gymnasium on Šubičeva street, the St. Mary's Column on Levstikov trg, the monument to Simon Gregorčič near Križanke, and on the pillars of the Bežigrad stadium. France Tomažič, the architect of the Montanistika building, was one of Plečnik's students and later worked with him. 6 I will tell you the story of our arrival from the sea in Podpeč. Ohhhh, I remember the Al-The rising of Slovenian territory took place pine orogeny the most, those very turbulent during the Alpine orogeny, the youngest When we died, our shells lay years – millions of years – when we were mountain-forming process, which last-in limestone silt, on which constantly afraid of earthquakes. An earth-ed from the Jurassic to the Pliocene, and more and more new layers quake caused a great cracking and uplift of which is still going on today. During this were deposited. Later, our the whole territory. Which is how we came to time, the entire Alpine-Himalayan moun-beautiful aragonite shells also appear in the Dinaric mountains. tain range emerged. In Slovenia, the terri-completely recrystallized into tory has risen the most in the last few tens larger calcite crystals. of millions of years, with a peak in the Mi-ocene about 10 million years ago. The process of sediment forming into rock is called lithification. It is part of the diagenesis process, which encompasses all sedimentary grain changes from deposition to solid rock. If the sedimentary grains are composed of calcium carbonate (mineral calcite and aragonite), limestone is formed, one of the most common rocks in Slovenia. The process of diagenesis also includes later changes in the rock, e.g. brown serrated stylolite seams. They are formed during the strong compression of limestones, which are partly dissolved under pressure, and the resi-due of insoluble minerals (e.g. clay minerals, pyrite, and various oxides) forms bright seams. 7 I still remember my youth, when we lived in an idyllic warm lagoon, full of diverse life. Lithiotid seashells lived in tropical, shallow lagoons at the margins of the Tethys Ocean. The environment we call the Dinaric (sometimes Adriatic) carbonate platform resembled the present-day Bahamas. It is an extensive shallow sea, an almost flat platform, with fairly steep bends that merge into the surrounding deeper sea. Lithiotid seashells inhabited extensive shallow-wa-ter lawns and sometimes formed smaller reefs. Today, limestone with lithiotids can be found all along the entire Outer Dinarides (former Dinaric carbonate platform) from Trnovski gozd through central Slovenia all the way to Montenegro. 8 Pssssst, I would like to whisper something so that the lithiotids Lithiotids only inhabited part of the la-don’t hear me. They always kept goon, so they are only found in a few more to themselves, and every- layers of the quarry. Life was obviously where else our fossil company more varied in other parts of the lagoon, was much more diverse. as there are many fossil snails, heart-shaped shells, brachiopods, sea sponges and foraminiferas preserved in the other layers of the quarry. The other interest-ing grains are oncoids, lumpy grains up to a few centimetres in size with an ir-regularly shaped concentric coating. Oncoids are formed when a sedimentary grain or shell is overgrown with My name is Gervilleioperna, and I’m a slimy coating of cyanobacteria to a lithiotid seashell with the most which tiny limestone silt adheres. Since beautiful heart-shaped profile. I’d the oncoids are constantly rolling, they like to invite you into the lobby, take an almost spherical shape with where my younger relatives will tell every new layer. you their story. 9 We already met at the entrance, Rudist seashell (known also as rudists) were and now it’s time to introduce typical inhabitants of the shallow seas during you to my extended family. the Cretaceous period. However, the most var-We’re rudist seashell, and you ied, most beautifully ornamented, and largest can remember us by our horn-species lived during the Late Cretaceous 65 to shape. 100 million years ago. Rudist seashell have one shell that is larger and elongated in the shape of a horn, while the other shell is smaller and serves only as a cap. They became extinct at the end of the Mesozoic, together with the dino-saurs and ammonites in the course of the mass extinction caused by the asteroid that fell on Like lithiotids, rudist seashell lived in the shal-the area of the present-day Yucatan Peninsula low environment of the Dinaric carbonate in the Gulf of Mexico. platform. They occur in the Cretaceous stra-ta, which are mainly exposed in the coastal parts of the present-day Dinaric mountains. In Slovenia, they are mainly characteristic of the Kras, where most of the varieties of We also come from the rudist limestone we see in the Montanistika same Mesozoic shallows building originate. Towards the south, rudist as lithiotid seashell, but limestones occur along the entire coast of the we’re much younger. Adriatic Sea and also form many islands. The wall panels in Montanistika come from Dal-matian island of Brač, in Croatia. 10 I come from the Croatian island The architectural stone from Brač, which lines of Brač, and my nickname is the walls of Montanistika, is known as Rasotica. (k)Rasotica, which means very It is adorned with a spectrum of brown colours beautiful. I’ll tell you all about and many beautifully preserved light ochre rud-how we lived at the height of Alora, and I come from ist shells, which are preserved in this limestone our existence. the Kras, and I’ll tell you – and we can see that the larger shells were how colourful this beauti-attached to or anchored in the seabed. Rudist ful piece of the world was seashells usually lived in groups in which they back in our day. supported each other, or where younger specimens lived attached to older ones. If there are Several rudist limestones of Mon-only a few specimens in such a group we call it a tanistika come from Kras. They bouquet; if there are several, it is a cluster; but if differ mainly in colour and in their there are many, the group is called a thicket. The preservation of the rudist shells. fossils are beautifully preserved, indicating that This spectrum is due to the very dif-the environment in which the limestone formed ferent shallow marine environments was quiet, most likely a peaceful lagoon inhab-in which they were formed. Dark ited by snails, bryozoans, hydrozoans, foramini-variants with beautifully preserved fers, crinoids, and even rare corals. fossils formed in the quiet parts of the platform, i.e. in the lagoons. The lighter ones are mainly char- acteristic of the marginal, more ex- posed parts, on which more robust rudist seashells have grown, form- ing large thickets. Although they were firmer and more robust, most were severely crushed, often to the point of unrecognizable rubble. 11 I’m from the village of Avber, and despite my age I’m quite The dark limestones that were quarried well preserved. Besides, the near the villages of Avber and Kazlje are black colour suits me. decorated with very well preserved rudist shells. These limestones were formed in closed lagoons or at their edges. Due to the calm lagoon sedimentation the fos-Ciao, I’m caprinide from Repenta- sil remains are beautifully preserved. In bor in Italy. You could say there addition, a lot of organic matter has been are quite a lot of my kind, but I can tell you why – we from the border preserved in the sediment, which is finely zones need to have a tough skin. dispersed among the sedimentary grains. It is this admixture that gives the Kazlje limestone (as well as the Rasotica from Brač) its characteristic dark colour. In the Montanistika, the wall panels under the reception room, the dark floor panels in the lobby, the side panels of the stairs leading up to the higher floors, and the blocks on the staircase turners are all made of typically dark Kazlje limestone. It is also found in the railing posts on the staircase, in the base of the statue on the first floor, and under the benches. The entrance portal of the building is also made of this limestone. 12 Repen limestone was quarried at Repentabor in northeastern Italy and on the Slovenian side of the border in the quarries of Dolina near Vrhovlje, Povir, And in Kopriva it was even Lisično, Vitez and Polževo. Today, only the first two worse. There’s only a few quarries are still active. This limestone is light grey. rudist shells left, and I, the ner- It consists of lighter thick-shelled rudists and a dark-inea snail, took it quite well. er matrix of rudist debris. It formed at the edge of the platform in the immediate vicinity of extensive rudistic thickets, which adorned the folds of the platform leading into the deeper sea. As these areas were exposed to strong waves and storms, most rudist Kopriva limestone was named after the village of Kopri-shells were crushed, but the more robust and resil-va, where it was cut in an old quarry that is now a site of ient shells of the rudists belonging to the Caprinidae national importance. It was also cut near Gabrovica and family were preserved. Pliskovica. Today, these quarries are largely abandoned, The entrance staircase of the Montanistika leading to and the stone is only cut in the Kopriva and Dolina quar-the lobby is made of Repen limestone. ries, where it passes into the Repen limestone. Unlike the Repen limestone, all of the rudist shells in the Kopriva limestone are crushed, which indicates a sedimentary environment of particularly high energy. Among the rudist debris we can observe beautifully preserved fossilised snails of the genus Nerinea, which were well adapted to life in such a turbulent environment. Due to the greater fragmentation of the shells, this limestone is more homo-geneous and slightly darker in appearance. In Montanistika, light grey slabs paving the floor of the lobby and the stairs leading to the higher floors are made of Kopriva limestone. 13 Ah, the place the rudists of other limestones lived was still The most crushed rudist shells are in acceptable, but where we lived Lipica limestone, as it was formed in got to be so severe that today the most turbulent of environments. I’m still scattered all over the The shells are often fragmented into place. millimetre-size grains, so that the limestone looks completely mono-chromatic, exhibiting light grey to slightly hazelnut tones. Only one memorial plaque on the wall of the lobby of the Montanistika building is made of Lipica limestone. Today, it is still intensively quarried near Lipica, where it is known as “uni-form” or “ unito” limestone. However, some layers in the same quarry contain well-preserved rudist shells, whose cross-sections resemble flowers, which is why this type of limestone is called “ rosy ” or “ fiorito” limestone. 14 Repen limestone is one of the best known and most appreciated architectural stones from the Kras, as very large blocks can be extracted from it due to its massive makeup. It is also resistant to frost, which is why it is traditionally used in the Kras area for exterior parts of buildings (portals, window frames). It is also seen as an ornamental I also need to tell stone elsewhere in Slovenia. In Ljubljana, the pavement of the Histor-you that we have a ical Atrium of the City Hall and the pedestal of the Sidro monument lot of relatives else-in Zvezda Park are made from Repen limestone. The light-coloured where in Ljubljana. facade slabs and the paving on the third floor of the Slovenian Parliament building are made of a related limestone from Kopriva. Both varieties of Lipica limestone are common in Ljubljana. They can be found in the main atrium of the City Hall, on the upper floors and in the passage of the Nebotičnik building (Ljubljana Skyscraper), in the Parliament building, and on the stairs and in the pedestals of the monuments in front of the University building and along Vegova Street. The inner side stairs and pavings of the Parliament and the pillars in the Nebotičnik café are made of Kazlje limestone. In Ljubljana, we can also find Rasotica limestone from Brač in the passage under Nebotičnik. 15 METAMORPHIC ROCKS Metamorphic rocks are formed by the al-teration or, scientifically speaking, metamorphosis of igneous, sedimentary or older metamorphic rocks. According to the structure of metamorphic rocks, they are divided into granulose rocks, which con-Can I please say something? sist of mineral grains of similar size with- ... And without boiling over out specific orientation, and schistose, in again! I’m the mineral calcite, which the mineral grains are elongated or and with my mineral siblings leafy and due to directed pressures during I’m part of a wonderful meta-metamorphosis are arranged perpendicu- morphic rock called marble. lar to the direction of maximum pressure. As a result, such rocks are cut along the oriented minerals into thin slabs. Metamorphosis happens at elevated pressures and temperatures and in the pres-ence of liquids and gasses deep inside the Earth. It takes place at the junctions of tec-And let me tell you that the shells tonic plates, where one plate sinks below from limestone really don’t know another (subduction) or due to the intru-what hard times are. Ughhh, I sion of magma into the solid Earth's crust. prefer not to think about just how During the process of metamorphosis, the hot and tiring it really was. mineral composition and structure of the rock change, while the chemical composition remains unchanged. 16 You probably know that the rock I make up with my brothers is Marble is a light granulose metamor- a real star in the world of stone phic rock. It is formed by the miner- décor and fashion. After all, who als calcite or dolomite that can vary hasn’t heard of marble? considerably in size, from microscop- ic sizes that we cannot see with the naked eye to several millimetres. If the marble is “pure”, it can be completely white, while if it contains other non-carbonate minerals, it can be grey to black, pink, yellowish and more. The name marble on the ornamen- tal stone market often incorrectly But I have to admit, however, that un-fortunately I can’t tell you the kind of refers very broadly to stones that stories my friends from limestones are not marbles. The term is often can tell. As a result of all that heat used for all polished ornamental and pressure, I don’t even remember stones, regardless of their charac-anything about my birthplace. teristics (e.g. Hotavlje limestone). Its mineral composition is essential- ly identical to the carbonate rocks (limestone and/or dolomite) from which it is also formed. However, fos- sils are never preserved in marble, whereas they are often found in lime- stone (as well as in dolomite). 17 The rock I live in is very much loved in the world of architecture and art. That’s why my relatives are dis- persed all over the world. The most famous marble quarries in the world are lo- cated in Carrara in the Italian province of Tuscany. Many world-famous monuments are made of Carrara marble, such as Pantheon in Rome, Mi- chelangelo's statue of David in Florence, etc. In Ljubljana, the figures of the Robba fountain are carved from this marble. In Slovenia, marble is found only on the Pohorje, where it was cut and used by the Romans. The marble in Montanisti- ka is most likely from Macedonia, where the marble used for the facade of Can-karjev dom was also taken from. 18 I’m the mineral plagioclase. With my mineral friends we IGNEOUS would like to share our life story, which we titled »From ROCKS the depths«. Igneous rocks are formed by crystal- lization from magma, also called lava, The crystallization and thus the formation when it rises and erupts to the surface. of igneous rocks is a result of the cooling of Depending on where they are formed, the magma. This can take place very slowly, they are divided into intrusive (or plu-usually deep below the Earth's surface, giving tonic) rocks formed from magma deep the minerals enough time to crystallize beau-below the Earth's surface and extru- tifully. A rock is formed with mineral grains sive (or volcanic) rocks formed from of about the same size and exhibiting a nice magma just below the Earth's surface shape (phaneritic texture). This is typical for or from lava at its surface. intrusive rocks. However, when magma and especially lava cools down quickly due to a rapid drop in temperature, the mineral grains only partially crystallize and the remaining melt solidifies in the so-called matrix (por-We were lucky to have shaped ourselves so beautifully. If you phyritic texture). This is typical for extrusive look closely at us under the light, rocks. our crystal surfaces absolutely shine. 19 I’m the mineral pyroxene. Cizlakite has a green colour because I’m very proud of the rock it is mainly composed of the miner- Cizlakite is a highly valued Slovenian we make up together with als pyroxene (light green), amphibole our friends. It’s called cizlak- architectural stone. Due to limited re- (dark green) and feldspar (white), as ite, and it’s very special. sources, the quarry is closed today, and well as quartz. Bright aplite and peg-what is extracted is used exclusively for matite veins often intersect the parent restoration purposes. Cizlakite in Lju-rock. The rock is named after the vil- bljana can be seen under the windows lage Cezlak on Pohorje, which is one of at the front of the Parliament building only five deposits in Europe. and inside the building on the main staircase. The facade panels of the City Art Gallery Ljubljana are also made of it. Cizlakite is an intrusive igneous rock, which means that it was formed deep in the Earth's interior. Later, the rock was up-Yes, we came from down lifted on the surface as the Pohorje massif deep, from truly terrible and its surroundings, where the rock is depths. Are you interested in found today. This area was uplifted very learning how that happened? quickly; therefore, this is the only place in Slovenia where the igneous and metamorphic rocks, which are characteristic of the deeper parts of the crust. Since cizlakite is, at some mere 20 million years old, a young rock, the main uplift probably occurred during the last peak of Alpine orogeny about 10 million years ago. 20 I’m the mineral quartz, and I’m grateful that in Cizlakite the others have accepted me into their dark company. So far we‘ve managed to smooth out at least some Igneous rocks differ considerably in col-of the disputes between the lighter and our. Which igneous rock crystallizes out darker minerals. If you don’t understand of the melt (magma or lava) mainly de-what I’m talking about, take a look at pends on the origin and composition of these last three rocks. the melt, since different minerals crystallize out of melts of different compositions. If the melt contained more silicon and oxygen, the rocks are generally lighter, but if it contained more magnesium and iron, they are darker. Some minerals are more characteristic of light igneous rocks (e.g. quartz), while others are more characteristic of dark ones (e.g. pyroxene). I also come from Pohorje and I'm part of a rock called granodiorite. We like the quartz in my rock, so you’re always welcome. Find more about our society on the next page. 21 Granodiorite is an igneous (plutonic) rock. It I really found a great sense is composed of light minerals (quartz, ortho-of companionship. The clase, and particularly plagioclase) as well as minerals in this rock really some dark ones (biotite, hornblende), which understand each other very well. gives it a greyish look. In its name and in composition, it is related to the better-known granite, but its plagioclases contain more calcium. Bright aplite and pegmatite veins criss-cross through the granodiorite. Their composition is also similar to that of granite. Aplite Our beautiful Pohorje is really is formed by very small and pegmatite by very worth seeing. And we also have large crystals, sometimes of semiprecious or special neighbours, you've proba-precious minerals bly already heard something about them… In Slovenia, granodiorite is quarried in the foothills of Po- horje in one of the largest op- erating quarries in the coun- try, i.e. Cezlak I near Oplotnica. Close by, the quarry of a slight- ly older and more prestigious cizlakite is also situated. 22 If the right minerals get together we are really very strong and solid. This is one of the reasons they like Pohorje granodiorite, which was also called Pohorje tonalite to invite us to take part in demand-or Pohorje granite in the past, is cut for road bricks and paving road work, and to be part of vari-ers, as well as wall and floor panels. Due to its appearance ous decoration schemes. and durability, granodiorite is the most commonly used natural stone for outdoor use in Slovenia. In Montanistika, granodiorite is used inside the ground-floor lecture rooms for the washbasin corners. In Ljubljana, almost the entire surface of the Trg Republike square is covered with Pohorje granodiorite. The facades of the Maximarket building and two nearby towers are lined with such panels, and the market is paved with granodiorite bricks and tiles. Prešernov Trg square and Mestni Trg square are also paved with it, as are many other streets. The fountain on the Ajdovščina square is made of two monolithic blocks, the largest ever taken from the Pohorje quarry. The estimated total weight of the fountain is more than 200 tons, which is why it had to be transported to Ljubljana by a military tank-transport trailer. Recently, during the restoration of the interior of the Montanistika building, our relatives from the non-native rocks from distant lands joined us. Go and have a look at them in the elevator. 23 Cizlakite is really similar to my rock, but the minerals in it are all mixed up. I don’t know how they can all live together! In my rock, like in granodiorite, everything is far more unified and orderly. And just so as to avoid any con- Gabbro is an igneous rock of the intru-fusion, even though we’re also sive type, usually dark grey to black called »black granite«, we have (pyroxene and amphibole minerals), nothing to do with that rock. which can be greenish (hornblende Supposedly, it was easier to sell mineral) with white patches, which us as decorative natural stone. are plagioclase minerals. It crystallizes deep below the Earth's surface from On the market, the name »Africa nero« is of-magma, which is rich in magnesium ten used for gabbro, because it is commonly and iron. In its composition, gabbro is obtained in Africa and because it is black; or it very similar to cizlakite, but does not goes by the name »black granite«, which is not contain the mineral quartz. The rock correct due to the completely different mineral therefore crystallized from a melt with composition of granite. The gabbro at the en-a slightly different composition. trance to the elevator certainly comes from far away, perhaps as from Africa, but we know that the gabbro from which the base of the entrance portal of the building is made comes from Jablanica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the base of the Prešeren monument at Tromostovje (three bridges) also comes from. 24 Nooo, you are not granite! And just so everyone knows, we never get so dark. Granite is an intrusive igneous rock, formed deep below the Earth's surface. It is the most common rock of the continental Earth crust. The rock is light, white or pink coloured. It crystallized from magma rich in silicon and oxygen. Quartz and minerals of alkali feldspars, plagioclase and light mica give it a light colour. The granite in the elevator is white in colour and most probably comes from Brazil. Together with the gabbro, it could be called a geologically alien species in the Montanistika building. You can also see granite in Ljubljana on the upper part of the Prešeren monument. 25 Title: MONTANISTIKA Authors and project mentors Concept and text: Petra Žvab Rožič, Matevž Novak (concept idea), Boštjan Rožič Graphic design: Nace Pušnik Layout and prepress: Erazem Simon Paravinja, Nina Šalomon, Urška Kos within the course Typeface Design, academic program Graphic and Interactive Communication, academic year 2018/2019 Copy editing: Jeff Bickert Electronic edition Ljubljana, January 2024 Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 105223171 ISBN 978-961-95766-0-1 (PDF) This European Researchers’ Night project is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 954337. This project has received funding from the European Commission. The action reflects only the author’s view. The Agency and the Commission are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Document Outline SEDIMENTNE KAMNINE METAMORFNE KAMNINE MAGMATSKE KAMNINE