1. Comprehensive Chemical Characterisation of Byzantine Glass Weights
- Author
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Mathilde Avisseau-Broustet, Nadine Schibille, Bendeguz Tobias, Chris Entwistle, Andrew Meek, Bernard Gratuze, Henrique Da Mota, IRAMAT - Centre Ernest Babelon (IRAMAT-CEB), Institut de Recherches sur les Archéomatériaux (IRAMAT), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Bordeaux Montaigne-Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM)-Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Bordeaux Montaigne-Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM), Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des Monnaies, médailles et antiques (BNF_MMA), Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), and Université d'Orléans (UO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Bordeaux Montaigne-Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbeliard (UTBM)
- Subjects
Graphical data ,lcsh:Medicine ,01 natural sciences ,Ferric Compounds ,Mass Spectrometry ,Analytical Chemistry ,[SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences ,Geographical Locations ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Sixth century ,Nickel ,0601 history and archaeology ,lcsh:Science ,Titanium ,Principal Component Analysis ,Multidisciplinary ,060102 archaeology ,06 humanities and the arts ,Cobalt ,Chemistry ,Physical Sciences ,Carbonate ,Egypt ,France ,Geology ,Research Article ,Chemical Elements ,010506 paleontology ,Colouring agents ,[SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and Prehistory ,Materials by Structure ,Amorphous Solids ,Materials Science ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Mineralogy ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Boron ,Natron ,Strontium ,Manganese ,Glass industry ,lcsh:R ,History, Medieval ,United Kingdom ,Trace Elements ,chemistry ,People and Places ,Africa ,Multivariate Analysis ,lcsh:Q ,Calcium ,Glass ,Byzantine architecture - Abstract
International audience; The understanding of the glass trade in the first millennium CE relies on the characterisation of well-dated compositional groups and the identification of their primary production sites. 275 Byzantine glass weights from the British Museum and the Bibliothèque nationale de France dating to the sixth and seventh century were analysed by LA-ICP-MS. Multivariate statistical and graphical data analysis discriminated between six main primary glass types. Primary glass sources were differentiated based on multi-dimensional comparison of silica-derived elements (MgO, Al2O3, CaO, TiO2, Fe2O3, ZrO2) and components associated with the alkali source (Li2O, B2O3). Along with Egyptian and Levantine origins of the glassmaking sands, variations in the natron source possibly point to the exploitation of two different natron deposits. Differences in strontium to calcium ratios revealed variations in the carbonate fractions in the sand. At least two cobalt sources were employed as colouring agents, one of which shows strong correlations with nickel, indicating a specific post-Roman cobalt source. Typological evidence identified chronological developments in the use of the different glass groups. Throughout the sixth century, Byzantine glass weights were predominately produced from two glasses that are probably of an Egyptian origin (Foy-2 and Foy-2 high Fe). Towards the second half of the sixth century a new but related plant-ash glass type emerged (Magby). Levantine I was likewise found among the late sixth- to early seventh-century samples. The use of different dies for the same batch testifies to large-scale, centralised production of the weights, while the same die used for different primary production groups demonstrates the co-existence of alternative sources of supply. Given the comprehensive design of our study, these results can be extrapolated to the wider early Byzantine glass industry and its changes at large.
- Published
- 2016
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