Experimental study of Late Bronze Age glass-making practice
There is very little known about ancient glass-making practice from the Late Bronze Age (LBA), despite numerous fragments of glass being discovered from LBA archaeological sites, both in Egypt and Mesopotamia. However, for more than 2000 years, two compositional groups of soda-lime-silica glass have dominated the large-scale production of glass in antiquity namely ~LBA glass~ of Egypt and Mesopotamia (high magnesium, plant ash based) and the ~Hellenistic/Roman glass~ (low magnesium, mineral natron based). These two glass groups show unique trends when their compositions are analysed using ternary diagrams, a method developed in petrology. That is, the compositions of most LBA glass can be plotted along different areas/troughs compared to Roman glasses. Their compositions are chemically too homogeneous to be made from the variable raw materials available across chronological periods, vast geographical regions, and colours. Without any solid archaeological evidence available, a scientific approach is necessary to figure out what is causing these trends. Two glass-making models were tested to identify possible factors that control the composition of finished glass. Once these technical constraints are identified,
Tanimoto, S.
Experimental study of Late Bronze Age glass-making practice. There is very little known about ancient glass-making practice from the Late Bronze Age (LBA), despite numerous fragments of glass being discovered from LBA archaeological sites, both in Egypt and Mesopotamia. However, for more than 2000 years, two compositional groups of soda-lime-silica glass have dominated the large-scale production of glass in antiquity namely ~LBA glass~ of Egypt and Mesopotamia (high magnesium, plant ash based) and the ~Hellenistic/Roman glass~ (low magnesium, mineral natron based). These two glass groups show unique trends when their compositions are analysed using ternary diagrams, a method developed in petrology. That is, the compositions of most LBA glass can be plotted along different areas/troughs compared to Roman glasses. Their compositions are chemically too homogeneous to be made from the variable raw materials available across chronological periods, vast geographical regions, and colours. Without any solid archaeological evidence available, a scientific approach is necessary to figure out what is causing these trends. Two glass-making models were tested to identify possible factors that control the composition of finished glass. Once these technical constraints are identified,
experimental_study late_bronze_age glass_making practice little_known ancient glass_making practice late_bronze_age lba despite numerous fragment glass discover lba archaeological_site egypt mesopotamia however compositional group soda lime glass dominate large_scale production glass antiquity namely lba glass egypt mesopotamia high plant ash base hellenistic_roman glass low mineral natron base glass group show unique trend composition analyse_use diagram method_develop composition lba glass plot along different areas compare roman glass composition homogeneous make variable raw_material available across chronological_period vast geographical_region colour without solid archaeological_evidence available scientific necessary figure cause trend glass_making model test identify_possible factor control composition finish glass technical constraint identify