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Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analyses of loose glass tesserae from the Northwest Quarter of Gerasa/Jerash has enhanced our understanding of the dynamics regulating the production and circulation of glass tesserae in second‐ to eighth‐centuries ce Jordan and the diachronic development of mosaics at the site. The identification of Levantine and Egyptian compositions (Roman‐Mn, Levantine I, HIMT, Foy 2.1) proves the continuous production of mosaics from the second to the seventh centuries. The Levantine I tesserae were made by the recycling and colouring of glass cullet. The gilded tesserae, in contrast, were all of an Egyptian base glass, likely illustrating the import of finished tesserae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the compositional characterization of eighty-two glass fragments discovered in archaeological contexts at Tropaeum Traiani (Adamclisi, Constanţa county, Romania), most of them dated to the 4th–6th centuries AD, in an attempt to understand the glass consumption and circulation in the Lower Danube region during the Late Antique period. The analytical results were obtained using external Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) techniques at the New AGLAE accelerator located in the basement of the Louvre Palace, Paris, France. The chemical data were compared to those on coeval glass finds from the literature. The naturally colored Tropaeum Traiani glass fragments turned out to belong to Série 2.1 of Foy, Série 3.2 of Foy, HIMT (high iron manganese titanium), and HIT (high iron titanium) compositional groups of Late Antique glass. The lack of color in several fragments was obtained either through the use of antimony or manganese compounds; intermediate recipes for colorless vessels, indicative for recycling procedures, were evidenced as well. The sample set also included several naturally colored blue and green glasses dated to the Early Roman period which showed compositional patterns typical for Roman Imperial glass. The variety in the chemistry of the vitreous finds reported in this paper, demonstrated by the identification of different glass types previously encountered in contemporary objects from many archaeological sites from the Mediterranean Sea and Balkan Mountains regions during the Late Antique period, reflects the trade connections of the settlements from the Lower Danube and the Black Sea region with the rest of the Roman world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr, Zr, Sn, Sb and Pb in 40 archaeological glasses from the Early Byzantine Jelica site in Serbia, are determined by PIXE/PIGE. Geochemical and multivariate analysis shows it corresponds to Foy series 2.1 and 3.2. Regionally, it is similar to the contemporary 6th century composition from Lower Danube (Bulgaria), Caričin Grad (Serbia) and Butrint (Albania). The results indicate that trade routes between these inland regions and the rest of the Empire were mostly open even during turbulent times of the 6th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carthage played an important role in maritime exchange networks during the Roman and late antique periods. One hundred ten glass fragments dating to the third to sixth centuries CE from a secondary deposit at the Yasmina Necropolis in Carthage have been analysed by electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) to characterise the supply of glass to the city. Detailed bivariate and multivariate data analysis identified different primary glass groups and revealed evidence of extensive recycling. Roman mixed antimony and manganese glasses with MnO contents in excess of 250 ppm were clearly the product of recycling, while iron, potassium and phosphorus oxides were frequent contaminants. Primary glass sources were discriminated using TiO as a proxy for heavy minerals (ilmenite/spinel), AlO for feldspar and SiO for quartz in the glassmaking sands. It was thus possible to draw conclusions about the chronological and geographical attributions of the primary glass types. Throughout much of the period covered in this study, glassworkers in Carthage utilised glass from both Egyptian and Levantine sources. Based on their geochemical characteristics, we conclude that Roman antimony and Roman manganese glasses originated from Egypt and the Levant, respectively, and were more or less simultaneously worked at Carthage in the fourth century as attested by their mixed recycling (Roman Sb-Mn). In the later fourth and early fifth centuries, glasses from Egypt (HIMT) and the Levant (two Levantine I groups) continued to be imported to Carthage, although the Egyptian HIMT is less well represented at Yasmina than in many other late antique glass assemblages. In contrast, in the later fifth and sixth centuries, glass seems to have been almost exclusively sourced from Egypt in the form of a manganese-decolourised glass originally described and characterised by Foy and colleagues (2003). Hence, the Yasmina assemblage testifies to significant fluctuations in the supply of glass to Carthage that require further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-seven glass samples from Carthage dating to the fourth to sixth century ad were analysed using the electron microprobe. The results show that these samples are all soda-lime-silica glass. Their MgO and K2O values, which are below 1.5%, suggest that they were made from natron, a flux that was widely used during the Roman period. The major and minor elements show that these samples can be divided into four groups, three of which correspond to the late Roman period glass groups that were found throughout the Roman Empire: Levantine I, and 'weak' and 'strong' HIMT. Of particular interest is our Group 2, which is technologically and compositionally similar to HIMT glass and the CaO and Al2O3 values of which are similar to those of Levantine I. Glass of similar composition has been reported by several authors and is predominantly found dating from the late fifth to seventh century. This could represent a 'new' glass group; therefore further study is needed to determine its origin. Also, this study suggests that the Vandal invasion in North Africa did not disrupt the glass trade between Carthage and the Levantine coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the composition of the vessel and window glass from three Late Antique Cypriot sites: Yeroskipou, Maroni-Petrera and Kalavasos-Kopetra. Over 170 glass fragments were sampled for quantitative chemical analysis through EPMA measurements. The aim of this work is to establish new insights on the chemical compositions of the glass from Late Antique Cypriot sites to observe the distribution of glass on the island. Furthermore, we compare our dataset with published data of contemporary materials from other regions. Four compositional groups were recognized and correlated to known chemical compositions: Levantine 1, Egypt 1, two types of HIMT glass, HIMTa and HIMTb, while a new group, High Lime Iron Manganese Titanium (HLIMT) has been defined. Glass was supplied to Cypriot glassmakers by both Egyptian and Syro-Palestinian primary producers. Nevertheless, we have observed a specific distribution pattern on the island. In the west, there is about 50:50 ratio between Levantine and Egyptian suppliers. On the contrary, in the central south coast the amount of Egyptian glass drops consistently, in particular in Kalavasos, leaving space to Levantine glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Late Roman period, the city of Butrint (SW Albania) was one of the most important seaports of the eastern Mediterranean due to its very favourable position and an extended presence of human settlements (from the 5th century BC to the modern age). The city seems to have particularly flourished after being declared a Roman colony under Augustus in 31 BC, but even after the Roman period, Butrint remained a central node in eastern trade routes. During the archaeological campaign of 2011 directed by David Hernandez (University of Notre Dame - US), aimed at identifying the eastern border of the Butrint Roman Forum, several glass artifacts were recovered and dated to the late antique and early medieval period. In this study 33 fragments of glass (32 transparent, 1 opaque) were analysed from different objects (drinking glasses, bowls, etc) mostly dated from the 5th to the 6th centuries AD. The aims of this work are: i) understanding the raw materials, the manufacturing techniques employed for glass production, and their evolution through the time; ii) correctly classifying items of uncertain date; iii) interpreting the economic development and trade models of the area. Chemical analyses were performed by electron microprobe (EMPA) for major and minor elements and by ICP mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) for trace elements. The chemical results indicate that the samples were produced with natron as fluxing agent. They can be divided, on the basis of the concentrations of Fe, Ti, and Mn, between the two main compositional groups widespread in the Mediterranean from the 4th century onward: HIMT (23 samples), and Levantine I (10 samples). Among the HIMT samples, both "weak" HIMT (13 samples), and "strong" HIMT (10 samples) were identified. This variety of compositions indicates that in Butrint, between the end of the 4th and the end of the 6th century, the glass materials were probably imported from different suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological excavation of ‘Piazza Bovio’ at Naples has yielded a large deposit, characterized by exceptional findings relating to the production of a glass workshop dated to the sixth to seventh centuries ad. The workshop features, coupled with the presence of broken glass for recycling and abundant glass scrap, leads us to identify the area as part of a secondary workshop. Selected finished objects and glass scraps were characterized by SEM/EDS and LA–ICP–MS and compared with major compositional groups of glass recognized in the western Mediterranean during the first millennium ad. The aim is to verify the hypothesis of a secondary production in Naples, using raw glass from the Levant area. Three different natron groups were identified on the basis of the colour and the chemical composition. The naturally coloured (blue–green) group is consistent with Levantine I glass. The yellow–green group is associated with HIMT glass, while the colourless glass was produced with different raw materials and probably in another specialized workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aquileia (Italy) is one of the largest Roman cities so far excavated, and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The significant amounts of glass found in the site have suggested to many researchers that Aquileia played a central role in glass production and trade in ancient times, although only very few archaeometric data have been obtained so far. In this context, an archaeological and archaeometric study was conducted on 62 unintentionally coloured samples of Late Roman glass (late 3rd–6th centuries AD) from the excavation of the Casa delle Bestie Ferite (“House of the Wounded Animals”). Results indicate the importance of Aquileia in the glass trade. Bulk chemistry (EPMA and XRF data) evidences a compositional transition with respect to Early Roman glass (1st–3rd centuries AD), indicating changes in raw materials for glass-making. In particular, the chemical data show the close similarity between Aquileia glass and some of the main compositional groups widespread in the Mediterranean from the 4th century onwards (HIMT, Levantine I, Série 3.2), suggesting their probable common origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. This evidence suggests there was no primary glass production in Aquileia, as presumed in the past by some authors. No relationships between chemical composition, type, chronology or production technique have been observed, although the possible connection between HIMT-type glass and low-quality objects such as bottles cannot be completely excluded and must be better investigated in future research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Forty-seven window and vessel glasses from the 'Great Temple' at Petra (Jordan), dating to the first/second and fourth centuries ce, were analysed by EPMA for major and minor elements. A subset of 29 samples from Petra and 15 samples from Khirbet et-Tannur were additionally analysed for trace elements, using LA-ICP-MS. Six compositional groups were identified on the basis of the presence of decolouring agents. The majority of the glasses derive ultimately from the Levantine coast, but most of the groups show evidence for highly selective recycling. The observed differences between the two sites could be related to different chronological ranges, functions, relative wealth and trade connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Archaeological, historical and analytical evidence can identify trade patterns and the movement of people and products and thus reveal the cultural and economic connections that existed at a given time. In the case of first millennium CE glass, the manufacture of raw glass in a limited number of glass making installations with unique compositional characteristics makes it possible to trace the likely origin of the raw materials at consumption sites. In this way the analytical characterisation of a large corpus of glass finds can identify changes in the supply routes of high-end industrial products from the Roman to the middle Byzantine period. Through the chemical analysis of a comprehensive glass assemblage from first to eighth century Butrint (Albania), the continuity and discontinuity of the supply of glass is traced at this consumption site. Ancient Butrint is located at the crossing point of late antique maritime trade routes, and this is reflected in the city’s archaeological record that includes a large number of glass artefacts as well as evidence of secondary glass working. The compositional analysis of glass samples from different archaeological contexts at Butrint revealed a great complexity as regards the base glass compositions. At least six sub-groups of soda-lime-silica glass can be distinguished that correspond to different identified primary glass production groups including Roman, HIMT and Egypt II glasses. Notably, one sub-group (WD2) among the Butrint fragments displays close proximity to other early medieval glass from central and northern Europe, whose precise place of origin is yet to be established. Chronological variations suggest a change in the supply of raw glasses with a dominance of Egyptian glass types during the early medieval period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Naturally coloured, blue or green are the most common glass colours found in assemblages from the Roman world from the end of the 1st century BC onwards. In the 4th century two different compositions have come to dominate this group, ‘HIMT’ and ‘Levantine 1’ glasses, both of which are now thought to have been produced in the eastern Mediterranean. Using Romano-British glass assemblages from the 4th and 5th centuries, it is shown here that although the two naturally coloured glass types predominate, by far the most common composition in British assemblages is HIMT, although older, earlier blue-green compositions are still present. The earliest date HIMT could be identified in these assemblages is around AD 330, although two distinct compositions can be identified within this group which relate to changes in composition over time. A similar change over time is seen in the Levantine 1 glasses. The reasons for these patterns within the assemblages are explored within the archaeological evidence currently available for glass production and consumption in the Roman world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]