E) Sponge Trade and Processing

The first days, after the arrival, the sponges were being scattered under the sun. There, the sponge traders made the deals and buy the merchandise.

Sponges were then carried to the place of processing, where specialized staff started the procedure.

However, we should observe that the sponges where pre-processed on the boats. There, the sailors stepped on them to get rid of the fluids (called “milk”) and then beat them with wooden sticks. The latter process was taking place for a couple of days.

When the sponges were arriving to the warehouses, they got clipped in order to have a better and more symmetrical shape. Afterwards, the sponges were submerged in acid liquid and sea water, in order to get cleaned from the sand. Last, they were submerged in water and lime so for the nice white-yellow colour to appear.