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International audience; Xicotó Rockshelter (Alòs de Balaguer, Lleida, Spain) is located in the eastern Pre-Pyrenean range in north-east Iberia, in the middle Segre River Basin. Since 2013, archaeological works have been developed by a team from the Prehistoric Studies and Research Seminar (SERP) at the University of Barcelona and up to three sedimentary levels have been identified. The preserved archaeological remains have allowed determining that the site was occupied during at least two different periods: the Ancient Neolithic and the Middle Mesolithic. The relative chronology given by the archaeological assemblage has been confirmed by several radiocarbon dates that place the occupations of the site to be during the VI and VII millennia cal BC. This paper presents the results obtained after the analysis of lithic raw materials from the entire lithic assemblage. The analysis was performed using the classic petroarchaeological approach, comprising textural and micropalaeontological descriptions, combined with the application of geochemical methods, using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The results show that several rock types were selected for confectioning the lithic tools, among which chert was the preferred. Different types and origins have been identified, with similar sourcing strategies that involved local and regional procurement.

International audience; The Great Umayyad Mosque of Damascus built between about 706 and 714/15 CE is the oldest surviving mosque that still preserves large parts of its original architecture and decoration. The origins of the mosaic tesserae have been the subject of debate for more than a thousand years. The earliest sources written two centuries after the construction of the edifice claim a Byzantine origin of both, the material as well as the craftsmen. Here we use the compositional analyses of nearly 1,000 glass tesserae to show that 65% of the samples (80% of the coloured tesserae) from the mosque have a consistent chemistry and, by inference, originate from a common geographical source. Comparison with chemical data of early Islamic glass groups conclusively identifies Egypt as the origin of these tesserae and demonstrates that they are coeval with the foundation of the mosque. Additionally, the compositional features of the gold leaf tesserae testify to the systematic recycling and reuse of older material. Our findings suggest that the manufacture and supply of glass tesserae for the Great Mosque was a direct commission from the highest echelons of government.

International audience

International audience; The glass ingots from the Late Bronze Age Uluburun shipwreck (ca. 1300 BCE) provide crucial insight into Late Bronze Age glass production and exchange in the Mediterranean. Almost all of the approximately 200 glass ingots on board the ship were sampled as well as five of the 30 Mycenaean glass relief beads. Here we report the full chemical compositional results for these samples, along with 49 strontium isotope analyses representing at least 48 separate glass ingots. We include as well 355 unpublished analyses of Late Bronze Age Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Levantine, and Aegean glasses; these represent a total of 222 different objects since many of the core-formed vessel fragments are polychrome and each color was analysed separately. The results suggest that the Uluburun glass ingots were produced in as few as 28 discrete production events or batches. The largest batch included at least 16 ingots representing 40 kg of glass with a chemical composition as perfectly uniform as could be determined by our LA-ICP-MS analyses. Cluster analysis and comparison of Ti/Cr and Li/Zr ratios indicate that all of the ingots are Egyptian glass. In addition, based on this new dataset we have identified the first Egyptian glasses to be found at Mesopotamian sites as well as several examples of Mesopotamian glass used to produce Egyptian objects. The Mycenaean glass relief beads on board the ship were also produced with Egyptian glass, although in this case more similar to glass from Amarna than to the Uluburun ingots. These results, coupled with our finding that glass almost identical to ingots found on the ship was used to produce several of the unprovenanced Mycenaean relief beads from museum collections, presents a picture of overall technological continuity combined with geographic flexibility at the end of the Amarna Period in Egypt.Glass ingots from Late Bronze Age Uluburun shipwreck all made from Egyptian glass.•Cluster Analysis and trace-element ratios to identify geographic source.•Ingots of high-quality glass produced in chemically identical batches.•Evidence for significant amounts of Mesopotamian glass in Amarna, Egypt, workshops.•First report of Egyptian glass at Mesopotamian sites although quantities limited.

International audience; The ancient glass industry changed dramatically towards the end of the first millennium. The Roman glassmaking tradition of mineral soda glass was increasingly supplanted by the use of plant ash as the main fluxing agent at the turn of the ninth century CE. Defining primary production groups of plant ash glass has been a challenge due to the high variability of raw materials and the smaller scale of production. Islamic Glass in the Making advocates a large-scale archaeometric approach to the history of Islamic glassmaking to trace the developments in the production, trade and consumption of vitreous materials between the eighth and twelfth centuries and to separate the norm from the exception. It proposes compositional discriminants to distinguish regional production groups, and provides insights into the organisation of the glass industry and commerce during the early Islamic period. The interdisciplinary approach leads to a holistic understanding of the development of Islamic glass; assemblages from the early Islamic period in Mesopotamia, Central Asia, Egypt, Greater Syria and Iberia are evaluated, and placed in the larger geopolitical context. In doing so, this book fills a gap in the present literature and advances a large-scale approach to the history of Islamic glass.

International audience; En Méditerranée du nord-ouest, les tout premiers groupes néolithiques originaires d'Italie méridionale se sont notamment implantés dans l'arc tosco-liguro-provençal dans le courant de la première moitié du VI e millénaire AEC, dans une région où une mosaïque géologique unique rend particulièrement visibles les transferts de matières premières utilisés pour la production des outillages, taillés ou polis, et des céramiques. Dans le cadre du projet CIMO, de nouvelles études technoéconomiques intégrées des industries lithiques ont été conduites pour les premiers horizons néolithiques (Impressa) de Finale Ligure-Arene Candide (Ligurie, Italie) et de Castellar-Pendimoun (Alpes-Maritimes, France), deux sites-clé qui offrent des séquences stratigraphiques détaillées et complémentaires. Ce chapitre présente les résultats d'analyse des matières premières (silicites et obsidiennes) acquises pour la confection des outillages taillés ainsi, que des éléments concernant leurs modes de production et d'usage. Cette étude conduit à l'identification de très vastes espaces, parcourus par les premiers fermiers et/ou innervés par des réseaux sociaux assurant les transferts. Les géo-ressources aux dépens desquelles les assemblages lithiques ont été constitués illustrent l'intensité des connections entre les Arene Candide et Pendimoun au cours de la première moitié du VI e millénaire et, au-delà, les liens établis entre les différentes aires au sein desquelles les premières implantations agropastorales ont d'ores et déjà été identifiées. En outre, ces résultats révèlent l'existence de contacts avec des régions qui, pour l'heure, n'ont pas livré de témoignages directs d'implantations néolithiques dans le courant de cette étape pionnière. En revanche, au cours de cette même étape, certaines régions d'origine des silicites sont encore occupées ou parcourues par des groupes de chasseurs de la fin du Mésolithique. Ces résultats offrent donc de nouvelles perspectives pour identifier les stratégies de réseautage impulsées par les premiers fermiers, pour discuter de la matérialité de leurs interactions avec les derniers chasseurs et, plus largement, des processus sociaux à l'oeuvre lors de la transition néolithique en Méditerranée du nord-ouest.

International audience; Die Rekonstruktion der Handelswege, über welche die Granate im Frühmittelalter nach Europa gelangten, belegt das Fortbestehen des Fernhandels nach dem Ende des weströmischen Reiches. Der frühmittelalterliche Granatschmuck aus Italien und das Vorhandensein von Edelsteinschleifereien sind wichtige Belege für das Verständnis der Dynamik dieses Handels, wurden aber systematisch übersehen. Die Spurenelementanalyse (LA-ICP-MS) von losen und eingelegten Granaten und Glaseinlagen aus Gräbern in der Lombardei des sechsten bis siebten Jahrhunderts identifizierte sowohl südasiatische und böhmische Granate als auch ägyptisches Glas. Diese Kombination zeigt, dass die Fernhandelsrouten, die über die Halbinsel und die Alpenpässe führten, eine Schlüsselrolle auf dem europäischen Granatmarkt spielten. Diese Ergebnisse erweitern das derzeitige Modell des Granathandels im Mittelmeerraum erheblich und werfen neues Licht auf den weltoffenen Charakter der Eliten, die während der Völkerwanderungszeit in Italien aufkamen. Translation by the authors; The reconstruction of the trade routes along which garnets reached Europe in the early Middle Ages demonstrates the persistence of long-distance trade after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Early medieval garnet jewellery from Italy and the presence of lapidary workshops are important evidence for understanding the dynamics of this commerce but are systematically overlooked. Chemical trace-element analysis (LA-ICP-MS) of loose and inset garnets and glass inlays from burials in sixth–seventh-century Lombardy has identified South Asian and Bohemian garnets together with Egyptian glass. This combination shows that the long-distance trade routes crossing the Peninsula and the Alpine passes played a key role in the European market for garnets, significantly modifying the current model of the Mediterranean garnet trade and shedding new light on the character of the elites who emerged in Italy during the Migration period.; L'étude des routes commerciales par lesquelles les grenats atteignent l'Europe au haut Moyen Âge met en évidence la persistance de ce commerce à longue distance après la chute de l'Empire romain d'Occident. Les bijoux en grenat du haut Moyen Âge découvert en Italie et la présence d'ateliers lapidaires sont des éléments cruciaux, qui ont été longtemps négligées, pour comprendre la dynamique de ces échanges. L'analyse des éléments traces (LA-ICP-MS) des grenats et des incrustations en verre retrouvés dans des sépultures lombardes, datées du sixième au septième siècle de notre ère, a révélé la présence de verre égyptien et de grenats provenant d'Asie du Sud et de Bohème. Cette combinaison met en évidence le rôle clé des routes du commerce à longue distance traversant la péninsule et les cols alpins dans le marché européen des grenats. Ces résultats modifient considérablement le modèle actuel du commerce méditerranéen de ces gemmes et apporte un nouvel éclairage sur le caractère cosmopolite des élites qui ont émergé en Italie au cours de la période de migration. Translation by the authors

This study aims at the characterisation of red and orange glass tesserae from the 4th-century Roman villa of Noheda (Spain). Due to the limited number of analyses available for such ancient materials, many questions remain unanswered about the production processes in the Roman period. Six samples were chosen for their hue variations, including two samples showing banded patterns of red and orange. Differences in copper speciation were investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and compared with colour and compositional variations obtained by EPMA. The shapes and sizes of colouring crystals could be investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscope imaging. The brown-red colour is due to metallic copper nano-particles and corresponds to a low-copper and low-lead group usually described in the literature. The orange samples and bands are coloured by copper oxide Cu2O nanoparticles with remaining Cu+ in the glass and have greater contents of Cu. Compositional analyses reveal that the same base glass is used in the red and orange bands with additions of Cu, Sn, Pb and probable Fe. Furthermore, based on our results and on the literature review, a high-copper low-lead group of glasses highlights the variability of compositions observed in cuprite colours.

International audience; Recent archaeological research has highlighted the potential role of mobile pastoral groups in the diffusion of raw materials and technological innovations between the southern Caucasus and north‐western Iran from the Neolithic onwards. Two successive projects, PAST‐OBS and SCOPE, were designed to explore this hypothesis through the study of obsidian consumption patterns from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age using a flexible analytical strategy that considerably extends the scale of obsidian studies in these regions. By focusing on the exploitation of obsidian at multiple levels—local, regional and interregional—we hope to unravel the complexity of the obsidian networks under study. The aim of this paper is to present (1) a reassessment of the work so far carried out by previous obsidian studies, with a view to homogenizing and to clarifying the nomenclature in use; and (2) an introduction to the PAST‐OBS and SCOPE projects in order to initiate a discussion of our preliminary results.

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.

Les crises, considérées comme des ruptures d’équilibre, des mises à l’épreuve d’une institution, d’un groupe social ou bien d’un individu agissent comme des révélateurs des inégalités, des faiblesses et des failles d’un système, mais éprouvent aussi ses capacités à absorber la perturbation et à rétablir cet état d’équilibre. En d’autres termes, elles révèlent les capacités de résilience du système considéré. Celles-ci sont favorisées par différents facteurs tels que la diversité, l’auto-organ...

It has long been assumed that lead glazing technology preceded glassmaking in the Western world and that the technological transfer was from glazes to glass. Here, we present new evidence for the reverse, the indigenous innovation of glassmaking and its transfer to glazes in early Islamic al-Andalus (Spain). Compositional analyses show that Islamic lead glazes from Córdoba are intimately related to a distinct type of high-lead glass, suggesting a connection between the two technologies. The archaeological remains from a pottery workshop indicate that the glazing process initially involved the production of a lead glass and is not linked to earlier Roman or other contemporary glazing technologies. The data also demonstrate that the potters not only used the same materials and techniques but borrowed stylistic and decorative models from glassmaking., Il a été proposé que la technologie de la glaçure plombifère ait précédé la production du verre en Europe occidentale et que cette technologie aurait ensuite été transférée au verre. Cet article présente de nouvelles données qui indiquent le contraire, c'est-à-dire une invention locale du verre et son transfert aux techniques de glaçure en al-Andalus (Espagne) au début de l’époque islamique. Des analyses de composition montrent que les glaçures plombifères de l’époque islamique de Cordoue sont liées à un type distinct de verre à haute teneur en plomb, ce qui met en évidence la relation étroite entre les deux technologies. Les vestiges archéologiques d'un atelier de potiers indiquent que le processus de production de la glaçure impliquait initialement la production de verre au plomb et n’était pas lié à la technologie romaine ou autres technologies contemporaines de la glaçure. Les données démontrent également que les potiers n'ont pas seulement utilisé les mêmes matériaux et techniques mais ont emprunté des motifs stylistiques et décoratifs à la verrerie., Es wurde angenommen, dass die Technologie der Bleiglasur der Glasherstellung in Westeuropa vorausging und dass der Technologietransfer von Glasur zu Glas erfolgte. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchungen zeigen jedoch, dass das Gegenteil der Fall war. Im frühislamischen al-Andalus in Spanien wurde zunächst Glas hergestellt und diese Technologie wurde dann auf Glasuren übertragen. Chemische Analysen zeigen, dass die Bleiglasuren der frühislamischen Zeit aus Córdoba eng mit einem bestimmten Typus von Bleiglas verwandt sind, was für einen Zusammenhang der beiden Technologien spricht. Das archäologische Fundmaterial aus einer Töpferwerkstatt deutet darauf hin, dass der Glasurprozess ursprünglich die Herstellung eines Bleiglases beinhaltete und nicht mit früheren römischen oder anderen zeitgenössischen Glasurtechnologien zusammenhängt. Die Daten zeigen auch, dass die Töpfer nicht nur die gleichen Techniken und Rohstoffe benutzten, sondern auch stilistische und dekorative Elemente der Glasherstellung entliehen.

International audience

Situé sur le causse du Larzac, le site de Soulages illustre, pour la première fois dans ce secteur de moyenne montagne, une occupation rurale qui se développe du vie siècle au ixe siècle. Les vestiges sont organisés dans un espace qui regroupe l’ensemble des lieux de vie, mêlés aux sépultures des habitants. Au sein de cet espace, les bâtiments sont répartis par fonction : les annexes sont regroupées dans des secteurs entourés par une palissade, la maison principale est isolée en hauteur. Au-delà de la localisation des constructions, l’analyse des techniques de construction et des matériaux mis en œuvre permet également de distinguer la maison d’habitation principale des bâtiments annexes avec l’emploi de la pierre, pour la première, et l’utilisation de structures porteuses en bois et murs en terre crue principalement, pour les seconds. Parmi les inhumations, les enfants décédés en bas âge sont surreprésentés. Ce type d’occupation livre de rares artefacts documentant la vie d’une communauté installée ex nihilo. Located on the plateau of Larzac, the site of Soulages testify, for the first time in this area of medium mountains, a rural settlement which developed from the 6th to the 9th century. The remains are organised in a space that groups together all the places where people lived, mixed with the burials of the inhabitants. Within this space, the buildings are divided by function: the service buildings are gathered in areas surrounded by a palisade, the main house is secluded in height. In addition to the situation of the buildings, the analysis of the construction techniques and materials also makes it possible to distinguish the main dwelling house from the functionnal buildings, with the use of stone for the former and the use of wooden load-bearing structures and earthen walls mainly for the latter. Among burials, young children are over-represented. This kind of settlement yields few material remains documenting the life of a community settled ex nihilo. Soulages ist eine ländliche Siedlung, die sich vom 6. bis zum 9. Jh. auf der Kalksteinhochfläche des Larzac entwickelt hat und als solche der erste in dieser Mittelgebirge-Gegend nachgewiesene Fall. Ihre Spuren strukturieren einen Raum, in welchem nicht nur alle Wohn- und Arbeitsbereiche, sondern auch die Gräber der Einwohner zu finden sind. Innerhalb dieses Raumes verteilen sich die Bauten nach ihrer Funktion : die Nebengebäude liegen in eingezäunten Bereichen, während das Haupthaus in höherer Lage allein steht. Darüber hinaus kann das Hauptwohnhaus von den Nebengebäuden dadurch unterschieden werden, dass Ersteres aus Stein erbaut ist, während Letztere meist eine Tragkonstruktion aus Holz mit Lehmwänden aufweisen. Unter den Bestattungen sind kleine Kinder überdurchschnittlich oft vertreten. Eine solche Siedlung liefert nur wenige Artefakte, die die Lebensweise einer Gemeinschaft dokumentieren, die diesen Ort neu erschlossen hat.

The materials, painting techniques and conservation state of the enamelled stain glass of the Catalan Modernist workshops operating in Barcelona are studied. It is known for its creativity and artistic value where textured, flashed, coloured and enamelled glasses concur. In the late 19th century, Catalan workshops used a new type of ready-to-be-used enamels (lead-zinc borosilicate glass) incorporating pigment particles and colourants. Although humidity, pollutants and solar irradiation are the main causes of corrosion, the microstructure of the enamels plays a role- Enamels that contain large particles close to the surface appear more corroded than those that are fully amorphous. Lixiviation of lead, boron and zinc produced a hydrated layered silica rich fragile glass and the subsequent precipitation of lead, sodium and calcium compounds on the surface, cracks around particles and inside the bubbles decrease the chemical and mechanical stability. The practices of some workshops produced enamels with reduced stability.

Cadre et méthodes de cette nouvelle étude Le programme Celtic Gold (2017-2021) est un projet franco-allemand cofinancé par l’Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) et la Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), pleinement interdisciplinaire, international et interinstitutionnel, dirigé par B. Armbruster et R. Schwab. Il vise, par l’étude des productions et de la consommation des objets en or du second âge du Fer provenant de France, d’Allemagne, de Suisse et du Bénélux, à renouveler l’appréhens...

Recent archaeological excavations carried out in the western suburbs of Cordoba (Spain) brought to light numerous fragments of archaeological glass from the caliphal period (929–1031 CE). The typological and compositional analysis by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of 66 fragments enabled the identification of different types of base glass and glass working techniques, identifying local productions, imports and decorative imitations of eastern models. The studied fragments include Mesopotamian, Levantine, Egyptian and possibly Sicilian soda-rich plant ash glass categories, and various glass-decorating techniques such as mould-blowing, pressing, cutting, staining or gilding. The systematic comparison of the trace element patterns of several relief-cut objects identified both imported ware and a locally manufactured sample, whereas all mould-blown pieces were made from locally sourced raw materials. Iberian glassworkers seem to have preferred mould-blowing, probably because of the distinct working properties of locally available high lead glass. The results thus confirm the continuous long-distance exchange of vitreous material, as well as the existence of multiple glassmaking centres in the Iberian Peninsula, illustrating a link between secondary glass working techniques and chemical composition. Furthermore, the identification of several fragments belonging to the same object based on chemical composition allowed us to reconstruct entire vessels and thereby expand the repertoire of known typologies circulating in Umayyad Spain. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40494-021-00505-4.

Glass mosaic decorations were used throughout the medieval Mediterranean as a powerful medium to convey religious and political agendas, yet we know next to nothing about the source of the materials and the transmission of the necessary technical know-how. Mosaics are generally considered a Byzantine art form, not least due to their prominence in Byzantine church architecture and because medieval Islamic textual sources assert that the glass tesserae of some of the most important early mosques were of Byzantine origin. This article provides solid analytical evidence that glass used in the tenth-century mosaics of the Great Umayyad Mosque of C´ordoba (Spain) came from Byzantium. Most of the tesserae have high boron contents, for which the only compositional match are Byzantine glasses made with raw materials from Asia Minor. In addition, some of the glass has a chemical fingerprint that suggests that it was prepared by mixing local raw materials with imported high boron glass, indicative of local mosaic glassmaking. Our study thus illustrates the value of analytical studies in re-assessing long-held assumptions about the making of mosaics as well as the movement of materials and people across cultural barriers. The presence of Byzantine materials and craftsmen in C´ordoba demonstrates that Muslims and Christians were interacting the length of the Mediterranean, corroborating the close diplomatic ties between the Caliphate of C´ordoba and the Byzantine Empire during the tenth century. Our findings further underscore the importance of glass in trade and diplomatic exchange, reflecting its cultural and economic value in the medieval world.

This books focusses on Iron Age glassmaking through a socio-economic perspective. To do so, a multidisciplinary method has been established, combining archaeological data with archaeometry and technological approaches developed with modern glassmakers. It allows us to reconstruct, step by step, the commodity chain of this craft, only dedicated to beads and bangles productions, from the raw glass production, its transformation into items of adornments but also its distribution and its consumption processes by La Tène societies.By reconstructing this production system, the social and symbolic values of these ornaments can be better understood. Glass beads and bangles are luxury products and their consumption evolved alongside the hierarchisation of La Tène societies. This new research on La Tène Glass reveals conspicuous consumption practises depending on the organisation of goods networks with the Near East, but also specialised craftspeople and production structures only dedicated to the production of objects used for the distinction of individuals, Au cours des quatre derniers siècles av. n.è. les sociétés d’Europe continentale de la culture dite de La Tène développent leur propre artisanat du verre. Cette période de mutations économiques et sociales saisissantes, où les centres urbains et les réseaux d’habitats hiérarchisés se déploient, connaît également une intensification et une diversification des productions artisanales et agricoles. De l’agriculture à la métallurgie, l’étude des spécialisations artisanales laténiennes révèle des changements techniques et économiques majeurs et précise les facteurs impliqués dans ces transformations socio-économiques.Presque exclusivement dédié aux ornements du corps, l’artisanat du verre celtique produit des perles et des bracelets. Longtemps considérés comme des objets de pacotilles, babioles qui ne pouvaient être que féminines ou enfantines, ces objets sont considérés ici sous leurs aspects économiques et sociaux. La méthode d’étude pluridisciplinaire développée, combinant l’étude contextuelle des objets, l’analyse élémentaire des matériaux et l’exploration des techniques avec des artisans verriers, a permis pour la première fois d’aborder ces objets à travers toute leur chaîne de production. De la fabrication du verre brut au Proche-Orient aux poignets des populations celtiques, l’étude des parures en verre celtiques révèle désormais les réseaux d’échanges et les savoir-faire que les sociétés ont développés pour leur production. Cette redécouverte de l’artisanat verrier laténien permet d’approcher les valeurs et les fonctions de signes des parures en verre, redéfinissant ces objets comme des parures de prix, destinés à la distinction sociale des individus, mais dont la production et les consommations semblent également évoluer parallèlement à la hiérarchisation de la société du La Tène.

International audience

International audience; This paper presents the provenance study of the iron reinforcements of Bourges Cathedral (13th c.): the links of a 100 m long iron chain, surrounding the eastern parts of the cathedral at the triforium level and 4.5 to 5 m long tie-rods consolidating the arches of the inner aisle at the same level. The analytical methodology is based on the determination of trace rare earth elements analyses by LA-ICP-MS in the slag inclusions of the artefacts and in the slag found on candidate production sites combined with statistical approaches. This chemical approach is crossed with archaeological and historical studies on the monument itself and on the production sites. Ninety-nine iron samples were analyzed on the bars and chains and 238 iron slags from 3 presumed areas of supply. For the first time, iron circulation and trade around a single building yard over a time of 30 to 40 years is studied with a precision never obtained before with historical sources. It shows that mainly four different metallurgical districts, local and more distant, supplied the building yard, mostly depending on the construction phases and also on the types of iron armatures needed.

International audience; Glass from al-Andalus has received little attention from specialized research. Recent progress has shown its interest not only from a formal perspective, but also as an auxiliary source in understanding various aspects of Andalusian society. In this paper, we have compiled in a very synthetic way what we know so far about glass in al-Andalus. Starting with a brief introduction on the production and commercialisation of glass in al-Andalus based on archaeometric research, we outline the evolution of its forms and decorations throughout the history of al-Andalus. The aim is to highlight the great potential offered by a multidisciplinary approach combining information from written sources, archaeology, typology, and the chemical composition of glass. The research on glass in al-Andalus is its infancy but is already becoming a relevant tool for studying the development and diffusion of aesthetic trends, technologies, mechanisms of production and trade in the history of al-Andalus.

grant number 125421 UID/00729/2020 Portuguese archaeological excavations dated to the 17th century onwards are extremely rich in glass artefacts, with this being a reality from the north to the south of the territory. Contrasting with this reality, no glass production locations from this period have been discovered or excavated so far, which makes the provenance attribution a challenging endeavour. One specific archaeological location, the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha in Coimbra, held one of the largest glass archaeological assemblages dated to the 17th century unearthed in Portugal so far. Due to the large variety of objects’ shapes, glass colours and decorative features, this assemblage is a valuable candidate to hold glass artefacts produced in Portugal. Lacking archaeological excavation on glass furnaces in Portugal, the study of glassmaking raw materials is the most promising research line to investigate the provenance of glass circulating in Portugal. In this study, sand and pebbles from six different locations in the north/centre of Portugal were collected and melted to produce glass samples. The resulting glass samples were chemically characterised using LA-ICP-MS, to obtain the composition of the samples in major, minor and trace elements. The obtained results were compared with the composition of 37 historical samples from the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha previously studied. Additionally, the thermal properties of selected synthesised glasses were analysed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, allowing new insights on melting temperatures and glass workability. Results indicate that three artefacts with stylistic features attributed to a Portuguese production were locally made with sands collected in Coimbra. publishersversion published

A large assemblage (n = 307) of architectural glasses (tesserae and windows) from the early 8th-century Umayyad residential site at Khirbat al-Minya was analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Trace element patterns are essential to establish the provenance of the base glass, while the comparative evaluation of the colouring and opacifying additives allow us to advance a production model for the manufacture of glass mosaic tesserae during the early Islamic period. The primary glass types are Levantine I and Egypt 1a, as well as a few older, reused tesserae, and Mesopotamian plant ash glass used for amber-coloured window fragments. Chemical data revealed fundamental differences in the colouring and opacification technologies between the Egyptian and Levantine tesserae. Co-variations of lead and bismuth, and copper, tin and zinc in the Egypt 1a tesserae provide first evidence for the production of different mosaic colours in a single workshop, specialising in the manufacture of tesserae of different colours. No such trend is apparent in the Levantine samples. Red, cobalt blue and gold leaf tesserae were found to be exclusively made from a Levantine base glass, indicating that the generation of some colours may have been a specialised process. The same may apply to the amber-coloured window glass fragments of Mesopotamian origin that exhibit very unusual characteristics, combining elevated copper (2% CuO) with an excess in iron oxide (5% Fe2O3). These findings have significant implications for the production model of strongly coloured glass and the exploitation of resources during the early Islamic period.

International audience; The 8th international conference of the AFAV, held in Besançon in December 2016, brought together a large number of medieval glass specialists. Presented in these proceedings, the communications renew, thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, the studies carried out on a material, which interested the archaeologists as the historians, the archaeometrists, the glass-makers and the conservators. They offer an overview of our knowledge of the glass from the eighth-sixteenth centuries in Portugal, Italy, Slovenia and the Balkans, and more punctually in Swiss, German and French regions, without forgetting also the exchanges with the New World (Canada) at the end of the considered period.; Le 8e colloque international de l’AFAV, tenu à Besançon en décembre 2016, a regroupé un grand nombre de spécialistes du verre médiéval. Présentées dans ces actes, les communications renouvellent, grâce à une approche interdisciplinaire, les études menées sur un matériau qui a intéressé les archéologues, les historiens, les archéomètres, les verriers et les restaurateurs-conservateurs. Elles proposent une synthèse de nos connaissances sur le verre des VIIIe-XVIe siècles au Portugal, en Italie, Slovénie et dans les Balkans, et plus ponctuellement dans des régions suisses, allemandes et françaises, sans omettre les échanges avec le Nouveau Monde (Canada) pour la fin de la période considérée.

Calcium antimonate (in the hexagonal or cubic form) dispersed in the glass matrix is an artificially synthesized phase commonly documented as opacifier for white glasses during the Roman period. Glasses of this type occasionally contain variable amounts of lead oxide. There is no consensus about the origin and role of the lead component in white glasses, whether it was functional to modify the workability of the glass and/or to help the precipitation of the particles, or whether it was an unintentional pollutant introduced with the raw materials. A group of lead and lead-free white mosaic tesserae from the fourth-century CE villa of Noheda in Spain were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and high temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) to evaluate the impact of variable amounts of lead oxide in the precipitation of calcium antimonate on the viscosity of the glass. The analyzed glasses show thermal events that have been related to the composition of the glass via multicomponent linear regression model. CaSb2O6 and Ca2Sb2O7 formed in the glass during the cooling phase and the glass was not reheated. Lead oxide influences the thermal behavior of the glass, lowering the onset temperatures of all the events, implying a more cost-effective production process. We propose that lead was added intentionally or that lead-bearing raw materials were selected specifically by the ancient glass artisans.

Significance The Islamic conquest of the Mediterranean has long been associated with fundamental geopolitical and economic transformations that sundered the medieval world from antiquity. An eighth- to ninth-century glass assemblage from Cordoba provides new insights into the processes of technological innovation, adaptation, and dissemination contingent on the specific historical environment. Its compositional characteristics reveal the mechanisms underlying the development of a new glassmaking tradition that, based on lead isotope analyses, can be attributed to a local production, using raw materials from nearby ore deposits. Our study illustrates that the second half of the eighth century and the ninth century was a period of considerable technological development in al-Andalus, triggered by a rupture in glass supplies from the eastern Mediterranean., This study investigates glass finds from the Iberian Peninsula as a proxy for identifying the mechanisms underlying technological transformations and innovation in the wake of the Arab conquest in the seventh and eighth centuries CE. High-resolution laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry data combined with lead isotope analyses of a precisely dated (mid-eighth century to 818 CE) glass assemblage from the Rabad of Šaqunda in Cordoba, capital of Umayyad Spain, enabled us to trace the origins of an Iberian glassmaking industry and to unambiguously link it to the exploitation of local raw materials. The analytical data reveal increased recycling, some isolated imports of Islamic plant ash glasses from Mesopotamia, and, most notably, the development of a new type of glassmaking technology that resorted to the use of lead slag from silver and lead mining and processing in the region around Cordoba. The production of this type of lead glass from Šaqunda was short-lived and was subsequently refined by introducing additional fluxing agents. The technological innovation of Islamic glassmaking in Spain evidently drew inspiration from adjacent high-temperature technologies. The revival of glass and the development of a local glassmaking tradition was indirectly related to the wider processes of Islamization, such as the introduction of glazed ceramics that are compositionally related to the lead glasses from Šaqunda.

International audience

International audience; Coloured enamels from the materials used in Modernist workshops from Barcelona were produced and compared to those found in the buildings to explore the reason for the reduced stability of the blue and green enamels.They were made of a lead-zinc borosilicate glass with a low softening point, reasonable stability to corrosion and matching thermal expansion coefficient with the blown base glass, mixed with colourants and pigment particles. The historical enamels show a lead, boron and zinc depleted silica rich amorphous glass, with precipitated lead and calcium sulphates or carbonates, characteristic of extensive atmospheric corrosion. The blue and green enamels show a heterogeneous layered microstructure more prone to degradation which is augmented by a greater heating and thermal stress affectation produced by the enhanced Infrared absorbance of blue tetrahedral cobalt colour centres and copper ions dissolved in the glass and, in particular, of the cobalt spinel particles.

International audience; The cave of Getahovit-2 is situated in north-eastern Armenia, in the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus which dominate the valley of the Kura. The excavations (2011–2017), carried out by the Armenian-French mission ‘Caucasus’, have revealed several phases of occupation – Upper Palaeolithic (ca 22,000 cal BC), Chalcolithic (ca. 4700-4050 cal BC), and early Middle Ages (ca. 900–1200 cal AD). Although the cave is near outcroppings of flint (lower valley of the Aghstev river), the artifacts found there are mainly in obsidian, whatever the period of occupation. During the Chalcolithic period (levels IV-III), the cave served as a shelter for herds, as seen in the succession of coprolite deposits, that were regularly burned to clean the floor of the cave. The origin of the populations that sheltered their herds in this cave is difficult to determine. LA-ICP-MS analyses have been carried out to study the provenance of the obsidian artifacts found in level III. Corroborated by the techno-typological study of the artifacts, they have enabled the differentiation of two assemblages: the first, coming from deposits situated on Armenian territory (Geghasar, Gutansar, Arteni, Tsaghkunyats) and consisting of blanks knapped by percussion (flakes above all), and the second coming from deposits situated in Georgia (Chikiani) or Turkey (region of Sarıkamış) and consisting of pressure-flaked blades. In the lower part of level III (ca 4700-4400 cal BC), the provenance of the obsidian (mainly Gutansar) suggests links with the south, the Ararat plain. For the upper part of level III (ca. 4400-4050 cal BC), it is the outcrops situated farther north (Tsaghkunyats) that were the origin of almost 60% of the pieces analysed. Based on environmental, cultural and ethnographic data, we discuss the role of the cave of Getahovit-2 and the mobility of the human groups who occupied it in the 5th millennium BC.

International audience; Small beads of glass and amber tell a fascinating story of long distance exchange during the Bronze Age, connecting Egypt and Mesopotamia with South Scandinavia. The beads themselves do not carry any iconography in a narrow sense. However, the material and the colour of the glass beads and of the amber beads may entail a deeper meaning related to Bronze Age religion and cosmology. During the last decades, the methods related to chemical analyses of ancient glass have improved dramatically, complemented by the increasing amount of material available for comparative studies. By recognizing different chemical trace elements related to the vitreous material itself as well as the colorant, it is now possible to identify glass from Egypt and Mesopotamia, and to distinguish glass from these two principal production areas of the Middle Bronze Age. It is also possible identify glass from the later glass production workshops in Northern Italy, in the Po Plain, such as Frattesina (after c. 1200 BC) (Walton et al. 2009; Shortland 2012; Walton et al. 2012; Gratuze 2013; Rehren & Freestone 2015). Thus, every glass bead, from well dated Danish burial contexts, can reveal a history of Bronze Age long distance exchange networks. Only Mesopotamian and Egyptian glass has been identified in the Danish Bronze Age bead material.

The presence of glass beads in West African archaeological sites provides important evi- dence of long-distance trade between this part of the continent and the rest of the world. Until recently, most of these items came from historical Sub-Saharan urban centers, well known for their role in the medieval trans-Saharan trade. We present here the chemical analysis by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of 16 glass beads found in three rural sites excavated during the past decade: the funerary site of Dourou-Boro and settlement sites of Sadia, in central Mali, as well as the settlement site of Djoutoubaya, in eastern Senegal, in contexts dated between the 7th-9th and the 11th-13th centuries CE. Results show that the raw materials used to manufacture the majority of the glass most probably originated in Egypt, the Levantine coast and the Middle East. One bead is of uncertain provenance and shows similarities with glass found in the Iberian Peninsula and in South Africa. One bead fragment found inside a tomb is a modern production, proba- bly linked to recent plundering. All of these ancient beads were exchanged along the trans- Saharan trade routes active during the rise of the first Sahelian states, such as the Ghana and the Gao kingdoms, and show strong similarities with the other West African bead assemblages that have been analysed. Despite the remoteness of their location in the Dogon Country and in the Fale ́ me ́ River valley, the beads studied were therefore included in the long-distance trade network, via contacts with the urban commercial centers located at the edge of the Sahara along the Niger River and in current southern Mauretania. These results bring a new light on the relationships between international and regional trade in Africa and highlight the complementarity between centres of political and economic power and their peripheries, important because of resources like gold for eastern Senegal.

International audience; The choice of stones by the ancient Greeks to build edifices remains an open question. If the useof local materials seems generalized, allochthonous stones are usually also present but lead to obvious extracosts. The current work aims to have an exhaustive view of the origins of the stones used in the Sanctuary ofDelphi. Located on the Parnassus zone, on the hanging wall of a large normal fault related to the CorinthRift, this Apollo Sanctuary is mainly built of limestones, breccia, marbles, as well as more recent poorlyconsolidated sediments generally calledpôrosin the literature. To overpass this global view, the differentlithologies employed in the archaeological site have been identified, as well as the local quarries, in order tofind their origins. The different limestones are autochthons and come from the Upper Jurassic–Cretaceouscarbonate platform of the Tethys Ocean involved in the Hellenides orogen. Those limestones of theParnassus Massif constitute the majority of the rock volume in the site; a specific facies of Maastrichtianlimestone called“Profitis Ilias limestone”has been used for the more prestigious edifices such as the ApolloTemple. The corresponding ancient quarry is located few kilometers west of the sanctuary. Then, slopebreccia has been largely used in the sanctuary: it crops out in and around the site and is laying on top of thecarbonates. Finally, thepôrosappear to be very variable and seven different facies have been documented,including travertine, oolitic grainstone, marine carbonates and coarse-grained sandstones. All these recentfacies exist in the south-east shore of the Gulf of Corinth, although–except for the grainstone–the quarriesare not yet known; Le choix des pierres de construction par les anciens Grecs reste à ce jour une question ouverte. Si l’emploi de matériaux locaux semble dominer, les faciès allochtones sont aussi présents. Ce travail propose une vue exhaustive des pierres mises en œuvre dans le sanctuaire de Delphes. Situé dans la zone du Parnasse, au pied d’une faille normale liée à l’ouverture du Golfe de Corinthe, le sanctuaire d’Apollon est majoritairement construit en calcaires, brèches et marbres. Des sédiments peu consolidés, récents, d’origine et de faciès variés appelés pôros dans les sources textuelles antiques, appellation souvent reprise dans la littérature moderne, sont également utilisés. L’identification des différents faciès a été menée sur le site, ainsi que dansles carrières locales, dans le but de retrouver la provenance des différents matériaux. Les calcaires sont clairement locaux et proviennent de la plate-forme carbonatée, d’âge Jurassique Supérieur à Crétacé, de laTéthys, reprise en compression lors de la formation de la chaîne des Hellénides. Ces calcaires du Massif du Parnasse correspondent à la majeure partie du volume de roche mis en œuvre ; un faciès spécifique de calcaire maastrichtien, appelé le calcaire de Saint-Élie, a été utilisé pour les édifices les plus prestigieux tels que le temple d’Apollon. La carrière antique correspondante se trouve à quelques kilomètres à l’ouest du site. Les brèches de pente ont été aussi largement employées : elles affleurent autour et dans le site archéologique et recouvrent les carbonates mésozoïques. Enfin, les roches appelées pôros correspondent à des faciès très variés ; sept types ont pu être reconnus dont du travertin, des grains tones à oolites, des carbonates marins et des grès grossiers. Tous ces faciès récents sont présents sur les côtes sud-est du Golfe de Corinthe, mais à l’exception des grains tones à oolites, les carrières d’origine n’ont pas encore été précisément localisées.

National audience; Small finds of glass dated to a long 8th century and discovered near the abbey of Jumièges proves the presence of one or more secondary workshops, close to this emblematic edifice of the lower Seine valley. Elemental analysis by LA-ICP-MS on stained window glass, glassware shards, craft remains and a raw glass block have revealed that both cullet and Levantine raw material were remelted.; Un ensemble modeste de verres attribués à un large VIIIe siècle et découverts aux abords de l’abbaye de Jumièges témoigne de la présence d’un ou de plusieurs ateliers secondaires à proximité de cet édifice emblématique de la basse vallée de la Seine. Les analyses physico-chimiques par LA-ICP-MS ont révélé que le lot composé de tessons de verre creux et de verre plat, de déchets d’artisanat et d’un bloc de verre brut attestait la refonte de groisil et de matière brute originaire du Proche-Orient.

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International audience; Migration-period glass beads from Italy are an overlooked source of evidence. This investigation discusses the provenance, economic value and social significance of glass beads from the cemetery of Campo Marchione, northern Italy (c.570 to the end of the seventh century AD). The different chemical compositions and specific forming technologies have identified European, Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Asian specimens. The wider contextualization of the beads in association with other grave goods and the sex and age of the deceased has yielded important insights into the economic, social and cultural significance beads held in Italy, acting as markers of long-distance exchange.

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International audience; This article gives the results of the analyses made by several specialists on some of the raw materials (metal, obsidian and semi-precious stones) found at Mentesh Tepe (Middle Kura Valley, Azerbaijan) during the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. They show that the procurement zone extends between 30 to 300 km away from the site. The copper and arsenic sources used during the Late Chalcolithic period are confined to the volcanogenic massif sulfide deposits (VMS) in the Lesser Caucasus to the south of Mentesh Tepe. Questions are still raised on their origins during the Early Bronze Age, with gold and tin during the same period yet of unknown provenance. Obsidian analyses show that various sources were used, some being very far (actual Turkey). Gegham, in Armenia, was by far the most important one during the Late Chalcolithic period, while Chikiani, in Georgia, has possibly played this role during the EBA. Finally, the raw material used for the beads come from ophiolitic series and volcanic contexts in the Lesser Caucasus, at a short distance from Mentesh Tepe.; Cet article présente les résultats d’analyses faites par plusieurs spécialistes sur une partie des matières premières (métal, obsidienne et pierres semi-précieuses) trouvées à Mentesh Tepe (moyenne vallée de la Kura, Azerbaïdjan) et datant des périodes du Chalcolithique récent et du début de l’âge du Bronze. Ils montrent que la zone d’approvisionnement se situe à une distance de 30 à 300 km du site. Les sources de cuivre et d’arsenic utilisées pendant le Chalcolithique récent se trouvent dans les « gisements de sulfures massifs volcanogènes » (VMS) qui s’étirent au sud du site dans le Petit Caucase. La question de leur origine pendant le début de l’âge du Bronze reste posée, de même que celle de l’or et de l’étain à la même époque. Les analyses de provenance de l’obsidienne montrent que plusieurs sources ont été utilisées, dont certaines, situées en Turquie actuelle, étaient très éloignées. Gegham, en Arménie, a été de loin la zone d’approvisionnement la plus importante au Chalcolithique récent, tandis qu’il est possible que Chikiani, en Géorgie, ait joué ce rôle au début de l’âge du Bronze. Enfin, les matières premières utilisées pour les perles viennent de couches ophiolitiques et de contextes volcaniques du Petit Caucase situés non loin de Mentesh Tepe.

International audience; Unearthing a weapon in an ancient mining area during an excavation is very unlikely. The discovery made at Castel-Minier is even more important since its stratigraphical context is well characterized, dating from the 15th century. This ear-dagger of an uncommon type, found along with its scabbard, differs greatly from those known in the museum collections by its sobriety. An archaeometric study was carried out focusing on the chemical characterization of its distinct components, putting in light the choice of the assembled materials (wood, gold, lead and copper alloys). Beyond the purpose of this dagger lost in a 15th century silver mine, its study makes it possible to see for the first time a Catalan area ear dagger produced for a regional market; Il est peu commun de mettre au jour de l'armement dans un contexte archéologique minier. La découverte faite à Castel-Minier est d'autant plus importante qu'elle est intervenue dans un contexte archéologique maitrisé. Elle met en lumière une dague à oreilles de la fin du XV e siècle qui diffère largement de celles connues dans les collections par sa sobriété. C'est la première fois que cet équipement offensif est découvert en contexte archéologique. Au-delà de la raison d'être de ce poignard dans une mine d'argent au XV e siècle, son étude permet de mettre en lumière pour la première fois une dague à oreilles de facture catalane destinée à un marché bien différent de celui des exemplaires connus dans la bibliographie.

International audience; Der Hügel von Le Colombier, im Chassezac-Tal (Ardèche, Frankreich) wurde im Hochmittelalter (11.-12. Jh.) zeitweise besiedelt, um einen silberhaltigen Bleigang auszubeuten. Neben den Gruben enstand eine Ansiedlung. Hier wird das Fazit einer mehrjährigen Grabung gezogen, mit dem Ziel, die Besiedlung des Hügels zu charakterisieren und seine Funktionen zu bestimmen. Aufgrund ihrer Bauweise und ihrer Morphologie, und nach der Untersuchung der gemachten Funde (Steinwerkzeuge, Schlacken, Keramik, Glas, Fauna, pflanzliche Stoffe, Artefakte) kann sie als ein Arbeitsplatz vor dem Mineneingang gedeutet werden, auf welchem das Erz aufbereitet wurde und die Arbeiter Hilfestellungen fanden. Es bestand wahrscheinlich aus Werkstatthäusern, die von kleinen Bergwerksbetrieben genutzt wurden.; The Colombier hill, located in the Chassezac valley (Ardèche, France), has been temporarily occupied during the High Middle Ages (11th and 12th centuries) in order to mine from a galena vein. Adjoining the mining networks, a building was erected. After several years of excavation, a conclusion has been reached, characterizing the hill’s occupancy and to establishing its functions. From an archaeological and morphological study, as well as the study of the furniture originating from the building (stone tools, slag, ceramic objects, glass, fauna, natural resources, manufactured objects), it has been possible to identify it as a mining site, built in order to process the ore and assist the workers. It was seemingly composed of workshop-houses that were regularly inhabited by small mining companies.; La colline du Colombier, située dans la vallée du Chassezac (Ardèche, France) a été temporairement occupée au Moyen Âge central (xie-xiie siècles) pour exploiter un filon de plomb argentifère. Aux côtés des réseaux miniers, un établissement fut construit. Après plusieurs années de fouille, un bilan est proposé afin de caractériser l’occupation de la colline et d’en préciser les fonctions. À partir d’une étude architecturale et morphologique ainsi que de l’étude des corpus mobiliers issus de l’établissement (outils lithiques, déchets scoriacés, céramiques, verres, faune, ressources végétales, objets manufacturés), il a été possible de l’envisager comme un carreau minier construit dans l’objectif de traiter le minerai et d’assister les ouvriers, vraisemblablement composé d’ateliers-maisons occupés de façon régulière par de petites entreprises minières.

International audience; The Neolithisation of the North-Western Mediterranean is still an open issue. New data has recently enriched the chronological and cultural archaeological framework, providing more precise absolute dates and revealing a new and more complex process of expansion of farming in Southern Europe.The Mediterranean route of colonization (6000–5600 BCE), is characterized by the so-called Impressed Wares (IW) or Impresso-Cardial Complex (ICC) which demonstrate huge internal diversity in material culture, notably in pottery style and technology. This polythetic imprint of the ICC is intimately linked to dynamics of raw material exploitation (such as obsidian) and interconnections within circulation and exchange networks of goods.Through a comparative and multi-analytical approach to pottery characterization of entire assemblages from two distant sites in the North-Western Mediterranean, each characterized by predominantly local pottery production, we demonstrate long-distance mobility of non-local pottery vessels from the Tyrrhenian regions towards the Languedoc (up to 1000 km) during the Neolithic transition. Our study allows us to highlight this unexpected milestone in the first Neolithic migration in the North-Western Mediterranean.

Compared with other manifestations of climate variability that may not be perceived within a human lifetime, abrupt environmental disturbances arising from volcanism can be directly experienced. Despite abundant Pleistocene calderas in the East African Rift and Afar, and the significance of regional tephra horizons for archaeological and paleoenvironmental dating, the entanglements of volcanoes and their eruptions with human behaviour and paleoecology have received little attention. Here, we focus on the intertwined human and eruptive history at Nabro, a caldera-topped volcanic massif close to the Red Sea littoral of Eritrea. Nabro exemplifies the antagonism of opportunities and threats posed by a large silicic volcano, active at least since the Middle Pleistocene and as recently as 2011. Using argon isotopic measurements, we establish the first chronology of key eruptive stages of Nabro and neighbouring Mallahle revealing a history of explosive and effusive volcanism in the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Past eruptions were an important source of obsidian that was exchanged over long distances across land and sea during the Neolithic. We infer that the availability of high-quality obsidian, combined with Nabro’s favourable microclimate and proximity to the Red Sea coast, likely attracted humans to this volcanic landmark since the later Middle Pleistocene. Drawing on observations of the immediate impact of the 2011 eruption on landscape and local pastoralist communities, we consider the impacts of past volcanic cataclysms on human populations. In addition to the threat to life, explosive eruptions of Nabro circa 130 ka and 62 ka ago would have abruptly curtailed procurement of its obsidian resource. Our findings suggest further attention be paid to evaluating the significance of East African volcanic landscapes, eruptions and resources for understanding human behaviour in deep antiquity.

Cette publication est l’occasion de revenir sur le monnayage carolingien produit a Toulouse durant les annees 840-850. Au cœur de cette decennie se place une decouverte monetaire majeure pour la connaissance de cet atelier, realisee a Auzeville (Haute-Garonne) en 1878. Le tresor alors exhume, qui comptait peut-etre un millier de pieces, fut en partie disperse et refondu, mais la centaine de monnaies qui nous est parvenue se revele riche de nombreuses informations. Ce corpus a deja fait l’objet de deux etudes que nous completons ici d’une nouvelle qui concerne plus specifiquement l’approvisionnement de l’atelier monetaire de Toulouse a la transition des regnes de Pepin II d’Aquitaine (839-852) et de Charles le Chauve (840-877). Qui de ces deux regnants va battre le premier monnaie a Toulouse ? Le stock d’argent est-il le meme pour les deux ? Est-il possible d’en determiner l’origine ? Nous tenterons de repondre a ces trois questions notamment sur la base des analyses elementaires et isotopiques realisees sur les exemplaires du tresor d’Auzeville conserves aux cabinets des medailles de Paris et de Bruxelles ainsi qu’au musee Paul-Dupuy de Toulouse. La diffusion de l’argent de Melle, principale source de production d’argent dans le territoire carolingien, particulierement active au ixe siecle et localisee, comme Toulouse, dans le territoire du royaume d’Aquitaine, sera examinee en particulier.

International audience; The medieval port city of Sīrāf (ca. 800–1050 CE) on the north coast of the Persian/Arabian Gulf linked the core lands of the ‘Abbāsid caliphate with India, China, Africa, and beyond. 101 glass fragments recovered from the 1966–1973 excavations at Sīrāf and now at the Corning Museum of Glass were analysed using LA-ICPMS in order to explore the glassmaking raw materials and technology of the objects found within the city, as well as to address issues of the production and trade of glass during the Islamic period. The results indicate that the main groups of glass at Sīrāf likely date to the 9th–early 11th centuries and can be subdivided by the trace elements zirconium and chromium. Chemical matches with some likely Indian glass, and with glass finds from South and Southeast Asia, underline the pivotal role of the Gulf in the eastward movement of Islamic glass via the Indian Ocean trade network, as well as the influx of Indian glass into the Islamic world. Glass bangles and a small number of vessel fragments likely date to the late 11th century or later, and their chemical compositions indicate different production origins.

International audience; The study of ancient and medieval glasses has identified distinct compositional groups as a result of the chemical characteristics of the raw materials used for its production. Archaeometric analysis can determine the provenance of the glass, and has demonstrated a large-scale production and commercialisation of raw glass throughout the Mediterranean during the ancient and medieval periods. Secondary workshops on the Iberian Peninsula imported raw glass from the Near East for the better part of the first millennium CE, following a similar pattern observed elsewhere in the Mediterranean region. However, there are some indications that point to a local production of glass and that deserve further investigation. In the ninth century, natron glass was replaced in al-Ándalus by plant ash and lead-rich glass that may represent a local production. Little is known about the production or use of glass in the Christian parts of the peninsula during this period.The increasing volume of analytical data on Spanish glass demonstrates the potential of an archaeometric approach to shed light not only on the production and trade of glass on the Iberian Peninsula but also on the ancient and medieval economy more generally.; El estudio del vidrio antiguo y medieval ha permitido identificar distintos grupos composicionales que son resultado de las características químicas de las materias primas empleadas en su fabricación. Los análisis arqueométricos permiten determinar la procedencia del vidrio, demostrando que el vidrio primario fue producido y comercializado a gran escala a través del Mediterráneo durante la Antigüedad y la Edad Media. Los talleres hispanos importaron vidrio primario desde Próximo Oriente durante la mayor parte del primer milenio d. C. siguiendo un patrón paralelo al resto del Mediterráneo. Sin embargo, algunos indicios señalan que pudieron convivir con vidrios de fabricación local que merecen ser investigados. En el siglo IX el vidrio de natrón fue sustituido en al-Ándalus por vidrios elaborados con cenizas vegetales y plomo, posiblemente de producción local. Poco se conoce sobre el uso y la producción de vidrio en este periodo para el mundo cristiano peninsular.El creciente volumen de datos analíticos demuestra el potencial de la arqueometría para profundizar en el conocimiento sobre la producción y comercialización del vidrio en la Península Ibérica en particular, y la economía antigua y medieval en general.

Bovagne Marilyne, Grimaud Julie, Chardenon Nathalie, Commandré Isabelle, Gratuze Bernard, Maufras Odile, Anselmo Marie, Pellé Richard, Recolin Anne. Nîmes (Gard). Un ensemble funéraire de l’Antiquité tardive et du haut Moyen Âge au 12 rue Saint-Gilles. In: Archéologie du Midi médiéval. Tome 35, 2017. pp. 291-299.

International audience; Palestine and Egypt supplied the Mediterranean and Europe with virtually all of its glass for most of the first millennium CE. While the Muslim conquest in the 7th century saw major political and economic adjustment, immediate changes to material culture appear to have been minimal. This paper examines the impact of the Byzantine-Islamic transition on the natron glass industry of Palestine from the 7th to 12th century. A series of 133 well-contextualised glass vessels from selected excavations in modern day Israel have been analysed for major, minor and trace elements using LA-ICP-MS. These glasses are assigned to previously established primary production groups, allowing the elucidation of the chronology of key changes in glass production in the region. Results indicate a relatively abrupt compositional change in the late 7th - early 8th centuries, covering the reforming reigns of al-Malik and al-Walid, which marks the end of “Byzantine” glass production and the establishment of the furnaces at Bet Eli'ezer. At about this time there was an influx of glass of an Egyptian composition. Production of Bet Eli'ezer type glass appears to have been limited to a short time span, less than 50 years, after which natron glass production in Palestine ceased. Plant ash glass is first encountered in the late 8th-early 9th century, probably as a result of reduced local natron glass production creating the conditions in which plant ash glass technology was adopted. Egypt continued to produce natron glass for up to a century after its demise in Palestine. It is reasoned that the change and then collapse in natron glass production in Palestine may well have been as a consequence of a reduction in the quantities of available natron. This affected Palestine first, and Egypt up to 100 years later, which suggests that the factors causing the reduction in natron supply originated at the source and were long term and gradual, not short term events.