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Abstract: Sets of 20 soda ash glasses, 16 soda lime glasses and 23 wood ash glasses mainly from excavations in Europe (additional soda ash glasses from Egypt) were analysed on 61 chemical elements. Average SiO2 is about 62% in soda glasses and 50% in wood ash glasses. The three groups of glasses contain on average 13% Na2O, 18% Na2O and 13% K2O as fluxes to lower the melting temperature of quartz at their production. The starting materials beside quartz were halophytic plant ash for soda ash glass, trona (Na3H(CO3)2·2H2O) and lime (clamshells) for soda lime glass and beech ash for wood ash glass. Each of the three major glass types contains specific Rare Earth Element (REE) concentrations mainly contained in quartz and its intergrown minerals. 50 Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstones from Central Europe represent the quartz composition. The REE pattern of these glasses apparently indicates major compositional stages of the Continental Earth''s Crust. The boron to lithium and sodium to potassium ratios as in seawater suggest reactions of materials for soda glass with seawater. Negative Ce anomalies in the three glasses are caused by reactions of quartz with seawater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sets of 20 soda ash, 16 soda lime and 23 wood ash glasses mainly from excavations in Europe were analysed by microprobe and LA-ICP-MS for 61 elements and are presented as average concentrations with standard deviations. Concentrations of sodium, potassium and magnesium allow the major glass type to be identified. Specific compositions of the raw materials of glass production indicate certain sources, technical processes and ages. Heavy minerals etc. of quartz sands contain rare earth elements (REE) from crustal fractionations that are different for the three major glass types. Accumulations of P, B, Ba, Mn and K in wood from soils by organic processes can characterize glass from certain regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Medieval wood ash glass classified as 6 early medieval wood ash glasses, 17 wood ash glasses, 5 early wood ash lime glasses, 7 wood ash lime glasses and 9 mixed alkali glasses has been analyzed by microprobe and ICP-mass spectrometry on 61 elements. Their calcium oxide to potassium oxide ratio (CaO/K2O) increases from early to late medieval glasses according to an increase of the proportion of twigs in the bulk amount of wood (logs plus twigs). Twigs because of their relatively large proportion of bark contain more calcium than wood logs. The ratio CaO/K2O of the glasses from not yet evaluated excavations can be used for dating. The observation that the 25 minor elements Be, Sc, V, Cr, Ge, Y, Nb, REE (La to Lu), Ta, W and Bi occur in almost equal concentrations in the five subtypes of wood ash glass makes it highly probable that these elements were introduced into the starting mixtures of the glasses by means of quartz from quartz-rich sand with heavy minerals. The majorities of the wood ash glasses contain so-called europium anomalies within the group of rare-earth elements (REE). Their Eu concentrations normalized to those of the Continental Earth''s Crust are lower than the normalized samarium and gadolinium concentrations. These Eu anomalies are apparently inherited from the granitic source of quartz in the upper Continental Earth''s Crust. Soda ash and soda lime glass as the other major types in the history of glass contain no Eu anomaly. Therefore a different source of quartz has caused this important element constellation for these glass types. The elements K, Cu, Rb and S are physiologically separated from Ca, P, Mn, Sr and B during the growth of the wood and bark, respectively, in the trees. Different sources of the metals Cu and Co were used for colouring the glasses of our report. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]