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SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF SEVENTH‐CENTURY GLASS FRAGMENTS FROM THE CRYPTA BALBI IN ROME *
Author(s) -
MIRTI P.,
LEPORA A.,
SAGUÌ L.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2000.tb00887.x
Subject(s) - antimony , opacity , copper , mineralogy , manganese , inductively coupled plasma , spectroscopy , chemistry , soda lime glass , materials science , metallurgy , optics , plasma , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction were used to study seventh‐century AD glass fragments from the Crypta Balbi in Rome. All the samples were found to be silica‐soda‐lime glasses. Iron determines the colour of blue‐green, green and yellow‐green transparent glasses; chemical composition suggests deliberate addition of iron and/or manganese in about half the samples. Copper was found as the main colourant in red, pale blue and blue‐green opaque fragments; elemental copper acts as an opacifier in red glass, and calcium antimonate in white, pale blue and blue‐green glasses. Detection of antimony in transparent fragments suggests recycling of opaque mosaic tesserae.