The Upper Weichselian and Holocene layers of the 190 m thick peat sequence in the Philippi basin (NE Greece) are studied by means of their mineralogical and geochemical features. The ash contents range between 11.4 and 53.4% and inorganic carbon contents range between 0.5 and 5.7%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that Mg-calcite, quartz, clay minerals, K-feldspars, plagioclases, and chlorites are the dominant minerals in the peat. Lime, pyrite, siderite, apatite, iron-oxides, weddellite, and basaluminite occur subordinately. During Upper Pleniglacial and Late Glacial times, clastic sedimentation prevailed in the palaeomire. Peat was enriched in Fe, K, Ti, As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Rb, Th, Y, Zn, and Zr. In Early Holocene, authigenic sedimentation of Ca-rich material dominated. Peat became enriched in As, Br, Se, Sr, and U. In Middle Holocene, fluctuations of the water table in the mire resulted in the deposition of both authigenic and clastic minerals. The Late Holocene peat is intensely damaged due to drainage and cultivation. The mineral matter features of the Upper Weichselian peat are identical to the features of many Greek lignites.