A J Shortland
Biographic Data
| ID | 1094084 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A J Shortland |
| GIVEN NAMES | A J |
| FAMILY NAME | Shortland |
| SIGNATURE | SHORTLAND A J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Defence Academy of the UK Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University Shrivenham SN6 8LA UK |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 303 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 28 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
Interpreting elements and isotopes in glass: A review
Substantial databases of elemental and isotopic analyses of ancient glass exist and are used to investigate raw material origin, trade, exchange, and processes such as mixing and recycling. However, the chemistry of archaeological glass may be challenging to the untrained. The paper provides structured information on the origin of chemical elements and their isotopes in ancient glass. It details some of the functions of individual elements in the…
LA‐ICP‐MS analysis of Late Bronze Age blue glass beads from Gurob, Egypt
Laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analysis was undertaken on 37 blue glass beads excavated from a tomb in the southern Faiyum region of northern Egypt. The tomb was undisturbed, contained the remains of seven females and two children, and dated between the reigns of Amenhotep I (1525–1504 bce ) and Tuthmosis III (1479–1425 bce ). The glass beads were coloured by copper and the trace element concentrations wer…
The Analysis of Late Bronze Age Glass from Nuzi and the Question of the Origin of Glass‐Making
This paper re‐analyses a considerable corpus of glass from the Late Bronze Age site of Nuzi, found near Kirkuk in Iraq. SEM–WDS and Sr and Nd isotopic analysis were applied, in addition to cataloguing the glass. The work showed that the glass technology at Nuzi was subtly different from contemporary Egyptian sites, using different ways of opacifying and working glass. At least two, perhaps three, Near Eastern production sites are postulated. The …
New Data on the Soda Flux Used in the Production of Iznik Glazes and Byzantine Glasses: Soda flux used in Iznik glazes and Byzantine glasses
Previous research has shown that Iznik glazes are characterized by low potash and magnesia contents. It was therefore suggested that the flux used was either a purified plant ash or some unidentified mineral source of soda. More recently, as a result of the detection of small, but significant, amounts of boron and lithium in Byzantine glasses from western Turkey, which also exhibit low potash and magnesia contents, it has been suggested that the …
Production technology and replication of lead antimonate yellow glass from New Kingdom Egypt and the Roman Empire
Characterization of 18th‐century Meissen Porcelain Using Sem–eds
Analytical investigations of fragmented Meissen porcelains well dated to between 1725 and 1763 have been carried out using SEM–EDS. The aim of the analysis was to characterize elements in bodies, glazes and overglaze enamels in order to create a baseline data set of materials used in the manufacture of porcelain at the Meissen factory, Saxony, during the 18th century. Analyses indicate body and glaze compositions to be consistent with a post c .1…
Synchronising radiocarbon dating and the Egyptian historical chronology by improved sample selection
Egypt has some of the oldest written records and extended lists of named rulers. But radiocarbon dates have only fulfilled expectations 66 per cent of the time. So why haven&t the two types of dating made a better match? The authors provide a dozen excellent reasons, which will sound the alarm among researchers well beyond Dynastic Egypt
The Evaporitic Deposits of Lake Fazda (Wadi Natrun, Egypt) and Their Use in Roman Glass Production
In September 2006, a new field survey of Lake Fazda in Wadi Natrun (Egypt) was undertaken to characterize the extant evaporitic deposits and reconstruct how this natural system was exploited in Egyptian and Roman times, especially in connection with glass production. It was found that the minerals currently precipitating in the lake are not immediately useful for the production of glass due to their high sulphate content. However, the large Roman…
Chemical and Mineralogical Approaches to the Organization of Late Bronze Age Nuzi Ware Production
In order to investigate the nature and organization of high‐status ceramic production in the Late Bronze Age, samples of Nuzi Ware from four different sites were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM–EDS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–AES). Chemical and mineralogical evidence suggests that Nuzi Ware was produced in at least two distinct regions, one probably in the Adhaim Basin in northern Iraq and an…
Isotopic Discriminants Between Late Bronze Age Glasses From Egypt and the Near East
This paper presents oxygen, strontium and neodymium isotopic analysis from a series of Late Bronze Age glasses from Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was found that oxygen and neodymium isotopes alone cannot readily distinguish between glasses from the various sites. However, combined Sr and Nd isotope analysis separate the data into three groups: an Egyptian group with relatively low Sr and Nd ratios; a Late Bronze Age (LBA) Nuzi group with high Sr and …
Investigating the likelihood of a reservoir offset in the radiocarbon record for ancient Egypt
Reanalysis of the Chronological Discrepancies Obtained by the Old and Middle Kingdom Monuments Project
The most extensive chronometric study ever undertaken on Egyptian Dynastic sites was published in Radiocarbon by Bonani et al. (2001). It comprised 269 radiocarbon measurements on monuments ranging from the 1st–12th dynasties. However, many of the calibrated dates obtained were significantly offset from historical estimates. The greatest discrepancies occurred in the 4th Dynasty where, paradoxically, the dating program had been most rigorous. For…
Analysis of First Millennium Bc Glass Vessels and Beads From the Pichvnari Necropolis, Georgia
The Pichvnari necropolis on the Black Sea coast of Georgia lies in an area known in the late first millennium as ‘Colchis’, on part of the trade route leading to the Orient. The burials of the necropolis date to the late fifth century bc and frequently contain grave goods, including extremely well‐preserved polychrome glass beads and core‐formed vessels. This paper presents a study of these vessels both stylistically and archaeologically and usin…
Colour in Minoan faience
The production technology of Egyptian blue and green frits from second millennium BC Egypt and Mesopotamia
A technological study of ancient faience from Egypt
Who Were the Glassmakers? Status, Theory and Method in Mid‐second Millennium Glass Production
Glass was first produced in a regular and controlled manner in the Near East in the sixteenth century BC. This paper examines a wide variety of textual, archaeological and analytical sources to try and determine more about the makers of this first glass. It attempts to show how modern ideas about medieval glassmaking have been anachronistically applied to the second millennium BC, and readdresses this by turning instead to second millennium sourc…
Application of Lead Isotope Analysis to a Wide Range of Late Bronze Age Egyptian Materials
Lead isotope analysis was applied to Egyptian materials from the Late Bronze Age in order to investigate the relationship between these different materials, many of which have lead as a significant component. The galena kohls analysed can be provenanced to Gebel Zeit, a large mining site known to have been active during the period. However, the source of lead metal is different and seems to be outside Egypt, along with the source of copper. Lead‐…
Ancient Exploitation and Use of Cobalt Alums From the Western Oases of Egypt
Cobalt alums from the Western Oases of Egypt were used in the second millennium bc as a colorant to produce dark blue glasses and glazes. A collection of these alums was gathered together and analysed by a series of techniques to accurately characterize them. They were then used alongside artificial analogues in experimental work aiming to determine the process that was used to convert the raw alum into a suitable pigment that might be used in a …
The Analysis of Second Millennium Glass From Egypt and Mesopotamia, Part 1: New WDS Analyses
A recent analytical study by SEM–WDS was carried out on 226 glasses from the Late Bronze Age, analysing each of the glasses for a total of at least 22 elements, the largest such analytical study conducted on these glasses. The aim of the analysis was first to identify which elements were brought in with each of the raw materials and, second, to accurately characterize those raw materials. Since different glassmaking sites in Egypt and the Near Ea…
Technological Study of Ptolemaic – Early Roman Faience From Memphis, Egypt
Fourteen fragments of faience vessels from the Ptolemaic/Roman period found at the Egyptian site of Memphis, near Cairo, were analysed by SEM. The fragments included high‐relief polychrome vessels, which are first produced in numbers in this period. Analysis allowed the composition and microstructure of the vessels to be assessed and conclusions drawn as to the raw materials of manufacture. Combining this information with archaeological evidence …
Evaporites of the Wadi Natrun: Seasonal and Annual Variation and Its Implication for Ancient Exploitation
The evaporitic deposits of the Wadi Natrun on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt have been used in variety of crafts and industries for over 6000 years. This paper reviews the formation processes of the evaporitic deposits between the different lakes in the wadi and for the wadi as a whole. It shows that the precipitation of sodium carbonate minerals within the lakes is seasonal and probably subject to long‐term fluctuation as climate varies…
Production Technology for Copper‐ and Cobalt‐Blue Vitreous Materials from the New Kingdom Site of Amarna—A Reappraisal
Previously published data on the chemical compositions and microstructures of copper‐ and cobalt‐blue frit, glass and faience from the New Kingdom site of Amarna in Egypt ( Shortland 2000 ) are summarized. The data are then used to infer the raw materials and processes employed in the production of these vitreous materials. The results suggest that crushed quartz pebbles were the source of the quartz for all the materials, but that different sour…
The use and origin of antimonate colorants in early Egyptian glass
The use and origin of antimonate colorants in early Egyptian glass
The origin of the colorants in Egyptian glass of the second millennium BC has been the subject of much research and debate. Several colorants including lead antimonate yellow and calcium antimonate white appear in the archaeological record apparently concurrently with the introduction of glass, and it is possible that their origins are in some way linked. This paper examines the use of the antimonate colorants and uses analytical and experimental…
The production technology of Egyptian blue and green frits from second millennium BC Egypt and Mesopotamia
Investigating the likelihood of a reservoir offset in the radiocarbon record for ancient Egypt
Raw Materials of Glass From Amarna and Implications for the Origins of Egyptian Glass
Analysis has been conducted on 19 blue glasses from Amarna in Middle Egypt dated to around 1350 BC. The results suggest that these glasses fall into two distinct types: cobalt coloured glasses with a natron based alkali made from local Egyptian materials, and copper coloured glasses with a plant ash alkali, which follow a Mesopotamian tradition of glass making. It is suggested that at least some of this copper/plant ash glass is imported into Egy…
The Analysis of Second Millennium Glass From Egypt and Mesopotamia, Part 1: New WDS Analyses
A recent analytical study by SEM–WDS was carried out on 226 glasses from the Late Bronze Age, analysing each of the glasses for a total of at least 22 elements, the largest such analytical study conducted on these glasses. The aim of the analysis was first to identify which elements were brought in with each of the raw materials and, second, to accurately characterize those raw materials. Since different glassmaking sites in Egypt and the Near Ea…
A technological study of ancient faience from Egypt
Production Technology for Copper‐ and Cobalt‐Blue Vitreous Materials from the New Kingdom Site of Amarna—A Reappraisal
Previously published data on the chemical compositions and microstructures of copper‐ and cobalt‐blue frit, glass and faience from the New Kingdom site of Amarna in Egypt ( Shortland 2000 ) are summarized. The data are then used to infer the raw materials and processes employed in the production of these vitreous materials. The results suggest that crushed quartz pebbles were the source of the quartz for all the materials, but that different sour…
Production technology and replication of lead antimonate yellow glass from New Kingdom Egypt and the Roman Empire
Evaporites of the Wadi Natrun: Seasonal and Annual Variation and Its Implication for Ancient Exploitation
The evaporitic deposits of the Wadi Natrun on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt have been used in variety of crafts and industries for over 6000 years. This paper reviews the formation processes of the evaporitic deposits between the different lakes in the wadi and for the wadi as a whole. It shows that the precipitation of sodium carbonate minerals within the lakes is seasonal and probably subject to long‐term fluctuation as climate varies…
Application of Lead Isotope Analysis to a Wide Range of Late Bronze Age Egyptian Materials
Lead isotope analysis was applied to Egyptian materials from the Late Bronze Age in order to investigate the relationship between these different materials, many of which have lead as a significant component. The galena kohls analysed can be provenanced to Gebel Zeit, a large mining site known to have been active during the period. However, the source of lead metal is different and seems to be outside Egypt, along with the source of copper. Lead‐…
Isotopic Discriminants Between Late Bronze Age Glasses From Egypt and the Near East
This paper presents oxygen, strontium and neodymium isotopic analysis from a series of Late Bronze Age glasses from Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was found that oxygen and neodymium isotopes alone cannot readily distinguish between glasses from the various sites. However, combined Sr and Nd isotope analysis separate the data into three groups: an Egyptian group with relatively low Sr and Nd ratios; a Late Bronze Age (LBA) Nuzi group with high Sr and …
Colour in Minoan faience
The Analysis of Late Bronze Age Glass from Nuzi and the Question of the Origin of Glass‐Making
This paper re‐analyses a considerable corpus of glass from the Late Bronze Age site of Nuzi, found near Kirkuk in Iraq. SEM–WDS and Sr and Nd isotopic analysis were applied, in addition to cataloguing the glass. The work showed that the glass technology at Nuzi was subtly different from contemporary Egyptian sites, using different ways of opacifying and working glass. At least two, perhaps three, Near Eastern production sites are postulated. The …
New Data on the Soda Flux Used in the Production of Iznik Glazes and Byzantine Glasses: Soda flux used in Iznik glazes and Byzantine glasses
Previous research has shown that Iznik glazes are characterized by low potash and magnesia contents. It was therefore suggested that the flux used was either a purified plant ash or some unidentified mineral source of soda. More recently, as a result of the detection of small, but significant, amounts of boron and lithium in Byzantine glasses from western Turkey, which also exhibit low potash and magnesia contents, it has been suggested that the …
Ancient Exploitation and Use of Cobalt Alums From the Western Oases of Egypt
Cobalt alums from the Western Oases of Egypt were used in the second millennium bc as a colorant to produce dark blue glasses and glazes. A collection of these alums was gathered together and analysed by a series of techniques to accurately characterize them. They were then used alongside artificial analogues in experimental work aiming to determine the process that was used to convert the raw alum into a suitable pigment that might be used in a …
Lead Isotopic Analysis of Eighteenth‐dynasty Egyptian Eyepaints and Lead Antimonate Colourants
New lead isotopic analyses are presented for lead antimonate coloured glass and faience from Amarna in Middle Egypt and dated to around 1350 BC. When compared to existing data, these suggest that Gebel Zeit on the Red Sea coast of Egypt may be the source for some of the lead antimonate colourants used in Egypt and possibly for the galena kohls of Eighteenth‐Dynasty date as well
The Evaporitic Deposits of Lake Fazda (Wadi Natrun, Egypt) and Their Use in Roman Glass Production
In September 2006, a new field survey of Lake Fazda in Wadi Natrun (Egypt) was undertaken to characterize the extant evaporitic deposits and reconstruct how this natural system was exploited in Egyptian and Roman times, especially in connection with glass production. It was found that the minerals currently precipitating in the lake are not immediately useful for the production of glass due to their high sulphate content. However, the large Roman…
Synchronising radiocarbon dating and the Egyptian historical chronology by improved sample selection
Egypt has some of the oldest written records and extended lists of named rulers. But radiocarbon dates have only fulfilled expectations 66 per cent of the time. So why haven&t the two types of dating made a better match? The authors provide a dozen excellent reasons, which will sound the alarm among researchers well beyond Dynastic Egypt
Reanalysis of the Chronological Discrepancies Obtained by the Old and Middle Kingdom Monuments Project
The most extensive chronometric study ever undertaken on Egyptian Dynastic sites was published in Radiocarbon by Bonani et al. (2001). It comprised 269 radiocarbon measurements on monuments ranging from the 1st–12th dynasties. However, many of the calibrated dates obtained were significantly offset from historical estimates. The greatest discrepancies occurred in the 4th Dynasty where, paradoxically, the dating program had been most rigorous. For…
Characterization of 18th‐century Meissen Porcelain Using Sem–eds
Analytical investigations of fragmented Meissen porcelains well dated to between 1725 and 1763 have been carried out using SEM–EDS. The aim of the analysis was to characterize elements in bodies, glazes and overglaze enamels in order to create a baseline data set of materials used in the manufacture of porcelain at the Meissen factory, Saxony, during the 18th century. Analyses indicate body and glaze compositions to be consistent with a post c .1…
Analysis of First Millennium Bc Glass Vessels and Beads From the Pichvnari Necropolis, Georgia
The Pichvnari necropolis on the Black Sea coast of Georgia lies in an area known in the late first millennium as ‘Colchis’, on part of the trade route leading to the Orient. The burials of the necropolis date to the late fifth century bc and frequently contain grave goods, including extremely well‐preserved polychrome glass beads and core‐formed vessels. This paper presents a study of these vessels both stylistically and archaeologically and usin…
Technological Study of Ptolemaic – Early Roman Faience From Memphis, Egypt
Fourteen fragments of faience vessels from the Ptolemaic/Roman period found at the Egyptian site of Memphis, near Cairo, were analysed by SEM. The fragments included high‐relief polychrome vessels, which are first produced in numbers in this period. Analysis allowed the composition and microstructure of the vessels to be assessed and conclusions drawn as to the raw materials of manufacture. Combining this information with archaeological evidence …
LA‐ICP‐MS analysis of Late Bronze Age blue glass beads from Gurob, Egypt
Laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analysis was undertaken on 37 blue glass beads excavated from a tomb in the southern Faiyum region of northern Egypt. The tomb was undisturbed, contained the remains of seven females and two children, and dated between the reigns of Amenhotep I (1525–1504 bce ) and Tuthmosis III (1479–1425 bce ). The glass beads were coloured by copper and the trace element concentrations wer…
The Number, Extent and Distribution of the Vitreous Materials Workshops at Amarna
Excavations at Amarna, the late 18th Dynasty capital of Akhenaten, undertaken at the end of the last century and early in this century, uncovered several parts of the city where major areas of habitation coincide with manufacturing sites. This paper presents the results of an in‐depth study of the published reports and unpublished excavation day books for the 1200 individual houses so far registered at Amarna carried out by the author. This study…
Chemical and Mineralogical Approaches to the Organization of Late Bronze Age Nuzi Ware Production
In order to investigate the nature and organization of high‐status ceramic production in the Late Bronze Age, samples of Nuzi Ware from four different sites were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM–EDS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–AES). Chemical and mineralogical evidence suggests that Nuzi Ware was produced in at least two distinct regions, one probably in the Adhaim Basin in northern Iraq and an…
Who Were the Glassmakers? Status, Theory and Method in Mid‐second Millennium Glass Production
Glass was first produced in a regular and controlled manner in the Near East in the sixteenth century BC. This paper examines a wide variety of textual, archaeological and analytical sources to try and determine more about the makers of this first glass. It attempts to show how modern ideas about medieval glassmaking have been anachronistically applied to the second millennium BC, and readdresses this by turning instead to second millennium sourc…
The Number, Extent and Distribution of the Vitreous Materials Workshops at Amarna
Excavations at Amarna, the late 18th Dynasty capital of Akhenaten, undertaken at the end of the last century and early in this century, uncovered several parts of the city where major areas of habitation coincide with manufacturing sites. This paper presents the results of an in‐depth study of the published reports and unpublished excavation day books for the 1200 individual houses so far registered at Amarna carried out by the author. This study…
Raw Materials of Glass From Amarna and Implications for the Origins of Egyptian Glass
Analysis has been conducted on 19 blue glasses from Amarna in Middle Egypt dated to around 1350 BC. The results suggest that these glasses fall into two distinct types: cobalt coloured glasses with a natron based alkali made from local Egyptian materials, and copper coloured glasses with a plant ash alkali, which follow a Mesopotamian tradition of glass making. It is suggested that at least some of this copper/plant ash glass is imported into Egy…
Lead Isotopic Analysis of Eighteenth‐dynasty Egyptian Eyepaints and Lead Antimonate Colourants
New lead isotopic analyses are presented for lead antimonate coloured glass and faience from Amarna in Middle Egypt and dated to around 1350 BC. When compared to existing data, these suggest that Gebel Zeit on the Red Sea coast of Egypt may be the source for some of the lead antimonate colourants used in Egypt and possibly for the galena kohls of Eighteenth‐Dynasty date as well
The use and origin of antimonate colorants in early Egyptian glass
The use and origin of antimonate colorants in early Egyptian glass
The origin of the colorants in Egyptian glass of the second millennium BC has been the subject of much research and debate. Several colorants including lead antimonate yellow and calcium antimonate white appear in the archaeological record apparently concurrently with the introduction of glass, and it is possible that their origins are in some way linked. This paper examines the use of the antimonate colorants and uses analytical and experimental…
Production Technology for Copper‐ and Cobalt‐Blue Vitreous Materials from the New Kingdom Site of Amarna—A Reappraisal
Previously published data on the chemical compositions and microstructures of copper‐ and cobalt‐blue frit, glass and faience from the New Kingdom site of Amarna in Egypt ( Shortland 2000 ) are summarized. The data are then used to infer the raw materials and processes employed in the production of these vitreous materials. The results suggest that crushed quartz pebbles were the source of the quartz for all the materials, but that different sour…
Evaporites of the Wadi Natrun: Seasonal and Annual Variation and Its Implication for Ancient Exploitation
The evaporitic deposits of the Wadi Natrun on the edge of the Western Desert of Egypt have been used in variety of crafts and industries for over 6000 years. This paper reviews the formation processes of the evaporitic deposits between the different lakes in the wadi and for the wadi as a whole. It shows that the precipitation of sodium carbonate minerals within the lakes is seasonal and probably subject to long‐term fluctuation as climate varies…
Technological Study of Ptolemaic – Early Roman Faience From Memphis, Egypt
Fourteen fragments of faience vessels from the Ptolemaic/Roman period found at the Egyptian site of Memphis, near Cairo, were analysed by SEM. The fragments included high‐relief polychrome vessels, which are first produced in numbers in this period. Analysis allowed the composition and microstructure of the vessels to be assessed and conclusions drawn as to the raw materials of manufacture. Combining this information with archaeological evidence …
Application of Lead Isotope Analysis to a Wide Range of Late Bronze Age Egyptian Materials
Lead isotope analysis was applied to Egyptian materials from the Late Bronze Age in order to investigate the relationship between these different materials, many of which have lead as a significant component. The galena kohls analysed can be provenanced to Gebel Zeit, a large mining site known to have been active during the period. However, the source of lead metal is different and seems to be outside Egypt, along with the source of copper. Lead‐…
Ancient Exploitation and Use of Cobalt Alums From the Western Oases of Egypt
Cobalt alums from the Western Oases of Egypt were used in the second millennium bc as a colorant to produce dark blue glasses and glazes. A collection of these alums was gathered together and analysed by a series of techniques to accurately characterize them. They were then used alongside artificial analogues in experimental work aiming to determine the process that was used to convert the raw alum into a suitable pigment that might be used in a …
The Analysis of Second Millennium Glass From Egypt and Mesopotamia, Part 1: New WDS Analyses
A recent analytical study by SEM–WDS was carried out on 226 glasses from the Late Bronze Age, analysing each of the glasses for a total of at least 22 elements, the largest such analytical study conducted on these glasses. The aim of the analysis was first to identify which elements were brought in with each of the raw materials and, second, to accurately characterize those raw materials. Since different glassmaking sites in Egypt and the Near Ea…
A technological study of ancient faience from Egypt
Who Were the Glassmakers? Status, Theory and Method in Mid‐second Millennium Glass Production
Glass was first produced in a regular and controlled manner in the Near East in the sixteenth century BC. This paper examines a wide variety of textual, archaeological and analytical sources to try and determine more about the makers of this first glass. It attempts to show how modern ideas about medieval glassmaking have been anachronistically applied to the second millennium BC, and readdresses this by turning instead to second millennium sourc…
Colour in Minoan faience
The production technology of Egyptian blue and green frits from second millennium BC Egypt and Mesopotamia
Investigating the likelihood of a reservoir offset in the radiocarbon record for ancient Egypt
Reanalysis of the Chronological Discrepancies Obtained by the Old and Middle Kingdom Monuments Project
The most extensive chronometric study ever undertaken on Egyptian Dynastic sites was published in Radiocarbon by Bonani et al. (2001). It comprised 269 radiocarbon measurements on monuments ranging from the 1st–12th dynasties. However, many of the calibrated dates obtained were significantly offset from historical estimates. The greatest discrepancies occurred in the 4th Dynasty where, paradoxically, the dating program had been most rigorous. For…
Analysis of First Millennium Bc Glass Vessels and Beads From the Pichvnari Necropolis, Georgia
The Pichvnari necropolis on the Black Sea coast of Georgia lies in an area known in the late first millennium as ‘Colchis’, on part of the trade route leading to the Orient. The burials of the necropolis date to the late fifth century bc and frequently contain grave goods, including extremely well‐preserved polychrome glass beads and core‐formed vessels. This paper presents a study of these vessels both stylistically and archaeologically and usin…
Isotopic Discriminants Between Late Bronze Age Glasses From Egypt and the Near East
This paper presents oxygen, strontium and neodymium isotopic analysis from a series of Late Bronze Age glasses from Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was found that oxygen and neodymium isotopes alone cannot readily distinguish between glasses from the various sites. However, combined Sr and Nd isotope analysis separate the data into three groups: an Egyptian group with relatively low Sr and Nd ratios; a Late Bronze Age (LBA) Nuzi group with high Sr and …
The Evaporitic Deposits of Lake Fazda (Wadi Natrun, Egypt) and Their Use in Roman Glass Production
In September 2006, a new field survey of Lake Fazda in Wadi Natrun (Egypt) was undertaken to characterize the extant evaporitic deposits and reconstruct how this natural system was exploited in Egyptian and Roman times, especially in connection with glass production. It was found that the minerals currently precipitating in the lake are not immediately useful for the production of glass due to their high sulphate content. However, the large Roman…
Chemical and Mineralogical Approaches to the Organization of Late Bronze Age Nuzi Ware Production
In order to investigate the nature and organization of high‐status ceramic production in the Late Bronze Age, samples of Nuzi Ware from four different sites were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM–EDS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–AES). Chemical and mineralogical evidence suggests that Nuzi Ware was produced in at least two distinct regions, one probably in the Adhaim Basin in northern Iraq and an…
Characterization of 18th‐century Meissen Porcelain Using Sem–eds
Analytical investigations of fragmented Meissen porcelains well dated to between 1725 and 1763 have been carried out using SEM–EDS. The aim of the analysis was to characterize elements in bodies, glazes and overglaze enamels in order to create a baseline data set of materials used in the manufacture of porcelain at the Meissen factory, Saxony, during the 18th century. Analyses indicate body and glaze compositions to be consistent with a post c .1…
Synchronising radiocarbon dating and the Egyptian historical chronology by improved sample selection
Egypt has some of the oldest written records and extended lists of named rulers. But radiocarbon dates have only fulfilled expectations 66 per cent of the time. So why haven&t the two types of dating made a better match? The authors provide a dozen excellent reasons, which will sound the alarm among researchers well beyond Dynastic Egypt
Production technology and replication of lead antimonate yellow glass from New Kingdom Egypt and the Roman Empire
New Data on the Soda Flux Used in the Production of Iznik Glazes and Byzantine Glasses: Soda flux used in Iznik glazes and Byzantine glasses
Previous research has shown that Iznik glazes are characterized by low potash and magnesia contents. It was therefore suggested that the flux used was either a purified plant ash or some unidentified mineral source of soda. More recently, as a result of the detection of small, but significant, amounts of boron and lithium in Byzantine glasses from western Turkey, which also exhibit low potash and magnesia contents, it has been suggested that the …
Archaeology (24 works) · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis (22 works) · Geology (20 works) · Geography (18 works) · Materials Science (18 works) · Metallurgy (17 works) · Mineralogy (16 works) · Geology (15 works) · Chemistry (13 works) · Building materials and conservation (12 works)