Alberta Silvestri
Biographic Data
| ID | 633911 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alberta Silvestri |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alberta |
| FAMILY NAME | Silvestri |
| SIGNATURE | SILVESTRI A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Padua |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9747-3194 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 413 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 38 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
Once upon a glass mosaic in the apse of S. Sabina’s Basilica in Rome. Interdisciplinary study of a Late Antique/Medieval lost decoration
The only evidence of the apse glass mosaic in the S. Sabina Basilica under study. • Green glass tesserae only preserved, and a selection chosen for analyses. • Interdisciplinary approach supports a 5th-9th cent dating of the apse mosaic. • Some tesserae reused/recycled; others newly produced for S. Sabina apse mosaic. • Comparisons among all the green tesserae from the mosaics of Rome performed. The present interdisciplinary study examines the gl…
The Glass Mosaic of S. Agnese fuori le mura: New Tesserae in the Puzzle of Early Medieval Rome
The present study, which is part of a wider inter-disciplinary research project on Medieval Rome funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, focuses on the archaeometric characterisation of glass tesserae from the apse mosaic of the church of S. Agnese fuori le mura, dated to the 7th century AD and never analysed until now. The main aims of the study are the identification of chemical compositions of glassy matrices and colouring/opacifying …
The Medieval Glass Mosaic of S. Agnese fuori le mura in Rome: Multispectral Imaging for Preliminary Identification of Original Tesserae
The mosaic in the apse of the Church of S. Agnese fuori le mura in Rome represents one of the most important examples of the wall mosaics of the Roman Middle Ages. Although it is associated with Byzantine figurative culture, no scientific study has addressed this important piece of Italian art history. One factor that has probably limited and created difficulties for its analysis is the poor legibility of the original parts, which are compromised…
Once upon a Glass—Cycles, Recycles and Reuses of a Never-Ending Material
Glass can be considered a locus of meaning, a material which has been the repository of traditional knowledge and technological expertise for at least three millennia. The history of glass speaks of know-how, technological transitions, and contaminations of recipes for its manufacture, which have changed across the world over the centuries. As the amount of recovered glass from archaeological contexts is much lower compared to ceramic and metal f…
Glass from the Silk Roads. Insights into new finds from Uzbekistan
The paper provides insights into an assemblage of glass finds from the citadel of Kafir Kala and the site of Cholaktepa both in the proximity of Samarkand (Uzbekistan). Located along one of the major Eurasian branches of the Silk Roads, passing through Samarkand, Kafir Kala is among the most relevant centres to better understand the Islamization of the Middle Zeravshan Valley in the early 8th century. During the excavations, hundreds of fragments…
Searching for insights on production technologies in the Late-Antique/Byzantine period: Glass tesserae from Tyana (Cappadocia, Turkey)
Production technology for Roman mosaic glass vessels: New data from the domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)
Glass from the Silk Roads. Insights into New Finds from Uzbekistan
Gambassini on the road. Underpinning evidence for a medieval widespread glass production in the north Adriatic area
Obsidian and Obsidian-like Glass Tesserae: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Study the Dedication Wall Mosaic in the Church of St. Mary of the Admiral in Palermo (12th Century)
Pliny the Elder testifies that roman workshops used volcanic glass (obsidian), but also produced and used a dark glass (obsidian-like glass) quite similar to the natural one. In the context of the study on medieval mosaics, the use of the obsidian and obsidian-like tesserae is a challenging research topic. In this paper, we present the results of a multidisciplinary study carried out on the Dedication wall mosaic, realized by a byzantine workshop…
Geosciences for cultural heritage: An overview
Shades of Colour: How thickness, iron redox and manganese/antimony contents influence perceived and intrinsic colour in Roman glass
Investigating a Byzantine technology: Experimental replicas of Ca-phosphate opacified glass
Things that Travelled
Recent research has demonstrated that, in the Roman, Late Antique, Early Islamic and Medieval worlds, glass was traded over long distances, from the Eastern Mediterranean, mainly Egypt and Israel, to Northern Africa, the Western Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Things that Travelled, a collaboration between the UCL Early Glass Technology Research Network, the Association for the History of Glass and the British Museum, aims to build on this kno…
Things that travelled: A review of the Roman glass from northern Adriatic Italy
Innovation and tradition in the fourth century mosaic of the Casa delle Bestie Ferite in Aquileia, Italy: Archaeometric Characterisation of the Glass Tesserae
Provenance of polychrome and colourless 8th–4th century BC glass from Pieria, Greece: A chemical and isotopic approach
The transition from Roman to Late Antique glass: New insights from the Domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)
Fe(III) and Mn(II) EPR quantitation in glass fragments from the palaeo-Christian mosaic of St. Prosdocimus (Padova, NE Italy): Archaeometric and colour correlations
Roman and late-Roman glass from north-eastern Italy: The isotopic perspective to provenance its raw materials
The palaeo-Christian glass mosaic of St. Prosdocimus (Padova, Italy): Archaeometric characterisation of tesserae with copper- or tin-based opacifiers
The glass of the “Casa delle Bestie Ferite”: A first systematic archaeometric study on Late Roman vessels from Aquileia
Glass from the Archaeological Museum of Adria (North-East Italy): New insights into Early Roman production technologies
Isotopes on the Beach, Part 1: Strontium Isotope Ratios as a Provenance Indicator for Lime Raw Materials Used in Roman Glass‐making
The provenancing of Roman natron glass is one of the most challenging problems in the field of archaeometry. Although the use of Sr and Nd isotope ratios and trace element signatures as an indication of provenance has proven promising, there are still many unknowns. In this study, the influence of the different raw materials on the final Sr isotopic composition of Roman natron glass is examined. It is shown that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in natron g…
Isotopes on the Beach, Part 2: Neodymium Isotopic Analysis for the Provenancing of Roman Glass‐making
In this study, we have evaluated the applicability of Nd isotopic analysis for the provenancing of Roman glass and we present a database of Nd isotopic compositions of possible sand raw materials from the western Mediterranean, as a means of comparison for the growing number of isotopic studies on ancient glass. The 143 Nd/ 144 Nd isotope ratio of sands is a good indicator for their geological (and sometimes geographical) provenance. The use of t…
The colourless glass of Iulia Felix
The coloured glass of Iulia Felix
Glass from the Archaeological Museum of Adria (North-East Italy): New insights into Early Roman production technologies
Western Mediterranean sand deposits as a raw material for Roman glass production
The transition from Roman to Late Antique glass: New insights from the Domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)
The glass of the “Casa delle Bestie Ferite”: A first systematic archaeometric study on Late Roman vessels from Aquileia
Roman and Medieval Glass From the Italian Area: Bulk Characterization and Relationships With Production Technologies
Compositional investigations were performed on 81 Roman and medieval glass fragments (first to 14th centuries ad ) from four Italian archaeological sites. The samples were soda–lime–silica in composition, with natron as flux for the Roman and early medieval glass samples, and with plant ash as flux for the late medieval ones. The varying colours are due to the differing FeO, Fe 2 O 3 , MnO and Sb 2 O 3 contents. Hierarchical cluster analysis iden…
The glass of Nogara (Verona): A “window” on production technology of mid-Medieval times in Northern Italy
An archaeometric study of the bulk and surface weathering characteristics of Early Medieval (5th–7th century) glass from the Po valley, northern Italy
Innovation and tradition in the fourth century mosaic of the Casa delle Bestie Ferite in Aquileia, Italy: Archaeometric Characterisation of the Glass Tesserae
Roman and late-Roman glass from north-eastern Italy: The isotopic perspective to provenance its raw materials
Shades of Colour: How thickness, iron redox and manganese/antimony contents influence perceived and intrinsic colour in Roman glass
Isotopes on the Beach, Part 1: Strontium Isotope Ratios as a Provenance Indicator for Lime Raw Materials Used in Roman Glass‐making
The provenancing of Roman natron glass is one of the most challenging problems in the field of archaeometry. Although the use of Sr and Nd isotope ratios and trace element signatures as an indication of provenance has proven promising, there are still many unknowns. In this study, the influence of the different raw materials on the final Sr isotopic composition of Roman natron glass is examined. It is shown that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in natron g…
Isotopes on the Beach, Part 2: Neodymium Isotopic Analysis for the Provenancing of Roman Glass‐making
In this study, we have evaluated the applicability of Nd isotopic analysis for the provenancing of Roman glass and we present a database of Nd isotopic compositions of possible sand raw materials from the western Mediterranean, as a means of comparison for the growing number of isotopic studies on ancient glass. The 143 Nd/ 144 Nd isotope ratio of sands is a good indicator for their geological (and sometimes geographical) provenance. The use of t…
Sand for Roman Glass Production: An Experimental and Philological Study on Source of Supply
This paper reports the results of an experimental study performed on Campanian littoral sand, together with a careful philological analysis of Pliny's text concerning the production of glass using the above sand in order to verify its suitability. Accurate chemical and mineralogical characterization of sand samples and experimental glasses was carried out, proving the unsuitability of sand for glass production in its original state. Taking into a…
The Medieval lead-glazed pottery from Nogara (north-east Italy): A multi-methodological study
Searching for insights on production technologies in the Late-Antique/Byzantine period: Glass tesserae from Tyana (Cappadocia, Turkey)
Obsidian and Obsidian-like Glass Tesserae: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Study the Dedication Wall Mosaic in the Church of St. Mary of the Admiral in Palermo (12th Century)
Pliny the Elder testifies that roman workshops used volcanic glass (obsidian), but also produced and used a dark glass (obsidian-like glass) quite similar to the natural one. In the context of the study on medieval mosaics, the use of the obsidian and obsidian-like tesserae is a challenging research topic. In this paper, we present the results of a multidisciplinary study carried out on the Dedication wall mosaic, realized by a byzantine workshop…
Investigating a Byzantine technology: Experimental replicas of Ca-phosphate opacified glass
Medieval Glass From Rocca Di Asolo (Northern Italy): An Archaeometric Study
An archaeometric study was performed on 33 medieval glass samples from Rocca di Asolo (northern Italy), in order to study the raw materials employed in their production, identify analogies with medieval glass from the Mediterranean area and possible relationships between chemical composition and type and/or production technique, contextualize the various phases of the site and extend data on Italian medieval glass. The samples are soda–lime–silic…
Δ18O measurements of archaeological glass (Roman to Modern age) and raw materials: Possible interpretation
Glass from the Silk Roads. Insights into new finds from Uzbekistan
The paper provides insights into an assemblage of glass finds from the citadel of Kafir Kala and the site of Cholaktepa both in the proximity of Samarkand (Uzbekistan). Located along one of the major Eurasian branches of the Silk Roads, passing through Samarkand, Kafir Kala is among the most relevant centres to better understand the Islamization of the Middle Zeravshan Valley in the early 8th century. During the excavations, hundreds of fragments…
Gambassini on the road. Underpinning evidence for a medieval widespread glass production in the north Adriatic area
The Glass Mosaic of S. Agnese fuori le mura: New Tesserae in the Puzzle of Early Medieval Rome
The present study, which is part of a wider inter-disciplinary research project on Medieval Rome funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, focuses on the archaeometric characterisation of glass tesserae from the apse mosaic of the church of S. Agnese fuori le mura, dated to the 7th century AD and never analysed until now. The main aims of the study are the identification of chemical compositions of glassy matrices and colouring/opacifying …
Once upon a Glass—Cycles, Recycles and Reuses of a Never-Ending Material
Glass can be considered a locus of meaning, a material which has been the repository of traditional knowledge and technological expertise for at least three millennia. The history of glass speaks of know-how, technological transitions, and contaminations of recipes for its manufacture, which have changed across the world over the centuries. As the amount of recovered glass from archaeological contexts is much lower compared to ceramic and metal f…
An archaeometric study of the bulk and surface weathering characteristics of Early Medieval (5th–7th century) glass from the Po valley, northern Italy
Roman and Medieval Glass From the Italian Area: Bulk Characterization and Relationships With Production Technologies
Compositional investigations were performed on 81 Roman and medieval glass fragments (first to 14th centuries ad ) from four Italian archaeological sites. The samples were soda–lime–silica in composition, with natron as flux for the Roman and early medieval glass samples, and with plant ash as flux for the late medieval ones. The varying colours are due to the differing FeO, Fe 2 O 3 , MnO and Sb 2 O 3 contents. Hierarchical cluster analysis iden…
Sand for Roman Glass Production: An Experimental and Philological Study on Source of Supply
This paper reports the results of an experimental study performed on Campanian littoral sand, together with a careful philological analysis of Pliny's text concerning the production of glass using the above sand in order to verify its suitability. Accurate chemical and mineralogical characterization of sand samples and experimental glasses was carried out, proving the unsuitability of sand for glass production in its original state. Taking into a…
The colourless glass of Iulia Felix
The coloured glass of Iulia Felix
Δ18O measurements of archaeological glass (Roman to Modern age) and raw materials: Possible interpretation
The palaeo-Christian glass mosaic of St. Prosdocimus (Padova, Italy): Archaeometric characterisation of ‘gold’ tesserae
The glass of Nogara (Verona): A “window” on production technology of mid-Medieval times in Northern Italy
The palaeo-Christian glass mosaic of St. Prosdocimus (Padova, Italy): Archaeometric characterisation of tesserae with antimony- or phosphorus-based opacifiers
The Medieval lead-glazed pottery from Nogara (north-east Italy): A multi-methodological study
Western Mediterranean sand deposits as a raw material for Roman glass production
Medieval Glass From Rocca Di Asolo (Northern Italy): An Archaeometric Study
An archaeometric study was performed on 33 medieval glass samples from Rocca di Asolo (northern Italy), in order to study the raw materials employed in their production, identify analogies with medieval glass from the Mediterranean area and possible relationships between chemical composition and type and/or production technique, contextualize the various phases of the site and extend data on Italian medieval glass. The samples are soda–lime–silic…
The role of copper on colour of palaeo-Christian glass mosaic tesserae: An XAS study
The glass of the “Casa delle Bestie Ferite”: A first systematic archaeometric study on Late Roman vessels from Aquileia
Glass from the Archaeological Museum of Adria (North-East Italy): New insights into Early Roman production technologies
Isotopes on the Beach, Part 1: Strontium Isotope Ratios as a Provenance Indicator for Lime Raw Materials Used in Roman Glass‐making
The provenancing of Roman natron glass is one of the most challenging problems in the field of archaeometry. Although the use of Sr and Nd isotope ratios and trace element signatures as an indication of provenance has proven promising, there are still many unknowns. In this study, the influence of the different raw materials on the final Sr isotopic composition of Roman natron glass is examined. It is shown that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in natron g…
Isotopes on the Beach, Part 2: Neodymium Isotopic Analysis for the Provenancing of Roman Glass‐making
In this study, we have evaluated the applicability of Nd isotopic analysis for the provenancing of Roman glass and we present a database of Nd isotopic compositions of possible sand raw materials from the western Mediterranean, as a means of comparison for the growing number of isotopic studies on ancient glass. The 143 Nd/ 144 Nd isotope ratio of sands is a good indicator for their geological (and sometimes geographical) provenance. The use of t…
The palaeo-Christian glass mosaic of St. Prosdocimus (Padova, Italy): Archaeometric characterisation of tesserae with copper- or tin-based opacifiers
Fe(III) and Mn(II) EPR quantitation in glass fragments from the palaeo-Christian mosaic of St. Prosdocimus (Padova, NE Italy): Archaeometric and colour correlations
Roman and late-Roman glass from north-eastern Italy: The isotopic perspective to provenance its raw materials
The transition from Roman to Late Antique glass: New insights from the Domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)
Provenance of polychrome and colourless 8th–4th century BC glass from Pieria, Greece: A chemical and isotopic approach
Things that Travelled
Recent research has demonstrated that, in the Roman, Late Antique, Early Islamic and Medieval worlds, glass was traded over long distances, from the Eastern Mediterranean, mainly Egypt and Israel, to Northern Africa, the Western Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Things that Travelled, a collaboration between the UCL Early Glass Technology Research Network, the Association for the History of Glass and the British Museum, aims to build on this kno…
Things that travelled: A review of the Roman glass from northern Adriatic Italy
Innovation and tradition in the fourth century mosaic of the Casa delle Bestie Ferite in Aquileia, Italy: Archaeometric Characterisation of the Glass Tesserae
Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis (35 works) · Archaeology (32 works) · Building materials and conservation (30 works) · Geography (25 works) · Geology (23 works) · Mineralogy (23 works) · Materials Science (21 works) · Metallurgy (19 works) · Conservation Techniques and Studies (18 works) · Chemistry (16 works)