The chemical composition and manufacturing technology of glass beads excavated from the Hetian Bizili site, Xinjiang

Abstract

The Hetian Bizili site of the Lop County, located in the southern route of the Silk Road in Xinjiang, China, was a trade and cultural hub between the East and the West in ancient times. In 2016, a large number of glass beads were unearthed from the 40 tombs excavated on this site. This study analyzed the chemical composition and manufacturing technology of twelve glass beads from the M5 tomb of the Bizili site by using various analytical techniques such as LA-ICP-AES, EDXRF, Raman Spectrometry, and SR-μCT. The chemical compositions of the beads were all Na 2 O-CaO-SiO 2 , with plant ash and natron as fluxes. The lead antimonite and lead stannate were applied as the opacifying agents. Some of the beads with high contents of aluminum may potentially come from Ancient India. In terms of manufacturing technology, the craftsmen made eyeballs of glass beads in different ways and even applied the same process as Etched Carnelian beads in some beads. This study confirmed that Bizili was an essential place for the interactions between the East and the West and provided the foundation for the spreading of glass beads.