The Milos Mining Museum in Adamas is dedicated to the island's extraordinary and often overlooked geological heritage. Milos sits atop one of the most mineralogically diverse volcanic formations in the Mediterranean, and humans have been exploiting that fact since the Neolithic period. Obsidian from Milos — a black volcanic glass capable of holding a razor edge — was traded across the Aegean thousands of years before the Bronze Age. More recently, the island has been a significant source of sulfur, kaolin, perlite, and bentonite; large-scale mining operations still occupy parts of the island's coast today.
The museum explains the geology behind this mineral wealth and traces the history of extraction from ancient obsidian quarrying through to industrial operations. The displays include geological samples, mining equipment, historical photographs, and explanatory panels in Greek and English. For anyone curious about why Milos looks the way it does — the strange colours, the steaming vents, the moonscape formations — this is the most direct explanation available. It is a small museum by international standards but well curated, and it adds a useful layer of understanding to everything else you see on the island.