The vitreous materials from the 2nd millenium BC city of Nuzi : their preservation, technology and distribution
This project presents the first large-scale study of the preservation and alteration of Late Bronze Age vitreous materials from the Near East. An understanding of the processes that affect buried glasses is of importance both in the conservation of ancient artefacts and as analogues for the disposal of vitrified nuclear waste. This project has focused on the vitreous material from Nuzi, a mid 2nd millennium BC site in Iraq, held at the Semitic Museum at Harvard University. This is one of the largest assemblages of vitreous material known from the Late Bronze Age, containing a wide range of objects. A survey was made of the assemblage and the distribution of vitreous materials across the site was established. It was found that the majority of these materials are associated with high-status and religious areas of the city. Over 150 samples of vitreous material, including 90 LBA glasses, were characterised in detail, using a variety of analytical techniques including, SEM-EDS, SEM-WDS, LA-ICPMS and XRD. Compositional analysis suggested that the antimony-opacified glasses may have been manufactured at a higher temperature than the translucent glasses; supported by a series of experiments replicating the opaque
Kirk, S.
The vitreous materials from the 2nd millenium BC city of Nuzi : their preservation, technology and distribution. This project presents the first large-scale study of the preservation and alteration of Late Bronze Age vitreous materials from the Near East. An understanding of the processes that affect buried glasses is of importance both in the conservation of ancient artefacts and as analogues for the disposal of vitrified nuclear waste. This project has focused on the vitreous material from Nuzi, a mid 2nd millennium BC site in Iraq, held at the Semitic Museum at Harvard University. This is one of the largest assemblages of vitreous material known from the Late Bronze Age, containing a wide range of objects. A survey was made of the assemblage and the distribution of vitreous materials across the site was established. It was found that the majority of these materials are associated with high-status and religious areas of the city. Over 150 samples of vitreous material, including 90 LBA glasses, were characterised in detail, using a variety of analytical techniques including, SEM-EDS, SEM-WDS, LA-ICPMS and XRD. Compositional analysis suggested that the antimony-opacified glasses may have been manufactured at a higher temperature than the translucent glasses; supported by a series of experiments replicating the opaque
material millenium city preservation technology distribution project present first large_scale study preservation alteration late_bronze_age material near_east process affect bury glass importance conservation ancient artefacts analogue disposal nuclear waste project_focus material site iraq hold semitic museum university one_large assemblages material know late_bronze_age contain wide_range object survey make assemblage distribution material across site establish find majority material associate high_status religious area city sample material include lba glass characterise detail use_variety analytical_technique include sem_eds sem xrd compositional_analysis suggest glass may manufacture high_temperature glass support series replicate opaque