The transition from Roman to Late Antique glass: new insights from the Domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)

Portus Ilicitanus (Picola, Alicante) was the main sea harbour of the Roman Colonia Iulia Ilici Augusta and as such played a crucial role in the supply of fundamental commodities to the Iberian Peninsula. Excavations yielded large quantities of glass in fourth‐ and early fifth‐century contexts. Elemental analysis of 60 samples by laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) confirmed that the glasses were imported from the Eastern Mediterranean. A majority of the glasses correspond to the HIMTa primary production group, which originates from Egypt. The statistical evaluation of published data of 589 HIMT glasses further revealed differential distribution patterns of the HIMTa and HIMTb subtypes between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, suggesting chronological trends that are linked to wider geopolitical changes. This demonstrates the need for systematic large‐scale approaches to identify supply patterns and possible factors underlying geographical differences and/or chronological developments.

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“…Similar observations were made with respect to comparable vessels of HIMT glass with applied blue drops from Aquileia (Maltoni et al . ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Seventeen out of 47 HIMT samples analysed from Aquileia and the late Roman harbour of Classe correspond to HIMTb (Maltoni et al . , ). In the rest of Italy, in contrast, as well as at Carthage, HIMTa tends to be the dominant type (Schibille et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Supply of Glass at Portus Ilicitanus (Alicante, Spain): A Meta‐Analysis of HIMT Glasses

et al. 2018

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“…Levantine I has been widely recognised among glass finds from the fourth/fifth to the seventh century CE [6, 9, 17, 21, 52–54]. It is a fairly coherent group with relatively high alumina and lime concentrations, alongside low contaminations with heavy minerals such as titanium, zirconium or iron oxides (Figs 4 and 6).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We therefore refer to this group as Foy-2. A fifth-century date has been proposed for the série 3.2 sub-type [6, 56, 59], and a sixth-century date for série 2.1 [20, 55, 59]. While the majority of Foy-2 glass weights are indeed attributed to the sixth century, a significant number of the weights date to the seventh century, confirming that production and circulation of Foy-2 (série 2.1) extended into the seventh (S1 Table).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Chemical Characterisation of Byzantine Glass Weights

et al. 2016

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The understanding of the glass trade in the first millennium CE relies on the characterisation of well-dated compositional groups and the identification of their primary production sites. 275 Byzantine glass weights from the British Museum and the Bibliothèque nationale de France dating to the sixth and seventh century were analysed by LA-ICP-MS. Multivariate statistical and graphical data analysis discriminated between six main primary glass types. Primary glass sources were differentiated based on multi-dimensional comparison of silica-derived elements (MgO, Al2O3, CaO, TiO2, Fe2O3, ZrO2) and components associated with the alkali source (Li2O, B2O3). Along with Egyptian and Levantine origins of the glassmaking sands, variations in the natron source possibly point to the exploitation of two different natron deposits. Differences in strontium to calcium ratios revealed variations in the carbonate fractions in the sand. At least two cobalt sources were employed as colouring agents, one of which shows strong correlations with nickel, indicating a specific post-Roman cobalt source. Typological evidence identified chronological developments in the use of the different glass groups. Throughout the sixth century, Byzantine glass weights were predominately produced from two glasses that are probably of an Egyptian origin (Foy-2 and Foy-2 high Fe). Towards the second half of the sixth century a new but related plant-ash glass type emerged (Magby). Levantine I was likewise found among the late sixth- to early seventh-century samples. The use of different dies for the same batch testifies to large-scale, centralised production of the weights, while the same die used for different primary production groups demonstrates the co-existence of alternative sources of supply. Given the comprehensive design of our study, these results can be extrapolated to the wider early Byzantine glass industry and its changes at large.

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“…Compositional ranges of literature groups (Sb-glass; Sb/Mn glass; Mn-glass) calculated from raw data published in Silvestri [40], Silvestri et al [41], Gallo et al [42] and Maltoni et al [43].…”

Section: Colorless Tesseraementioning

confidence: 99%

A Mosaic of Colors: Investigating Production Technologies of Roman Glass Tesserae from Northeastern Italy

Maltoni

Silvestri

2018

Minerals

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In the current study, a set of 60 glass tesserae from two disrupted Roman mosaics located in Pordenone and Trento (northeastern Italy) are analyzed, with the aim of investigating the coloring and opacification techniques, with a focus on the causes of specific textural features. All the available colors and textures were selected for archaeometric analyses, in order to guarantee the full characterization of both assemblages and comparisons between the two sites. The applied analytical protocol comprises micro-textural and preliminary chemical characterizations of the tesserae by means of OM and SEM-EDS, mineralogical analysis of the opacifiers by XRD and chemical analysis of the glassy matrices by EPMA; in addition, on specific tesserae, micro-Raman spectroscopy, FORS, and EPR were also performed to clarify the type of opacifer, coloring ion and oxidation state, respectively. Results show that both the base-glass and the coloring/opacification techniques identified are consistent with the presumed Roman dating of the mosaics. All the tesserae are natron-based and chemically comparable with major Roman compositional groups, except for red samples. Antimony-based opacifiers are identified in most of the blue, turquoise, white, yellow and green tesserae, and copper-based opacifiers in the red ones; cobalt and copper are the most frequent ionic colorants used to obtain various shades of blue, turquoise and green colors. Despite the general comparability of both assemblages with the published data on glass tesserae coeval in age, the present study shows differences in the technological solutions used for obtaining the same color, and less common coloring and opacification techniques in three samples from Pordenone. The banded textures of some tesserae were also carefully investigated, and multiple factors influencing the changes in color (different distribution or relative abundance of opacifiers, crystal size, micro-texture, chemical composition of glassy matrix) are identified.

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The transition from Roman to Late Antique glass: new insights from the Domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)

Cited by 35 publications

References 34 publications

The Supply of Glass at Portus Ilicitanus (Alicante, Spain): A Meta‐Analysis of HIMT Glasses

The Supply of Glass at Portus Ilicitanus (Alicante, Spain): A Meta‐Analysis of HIMT Glasses

Comprehensive Chemical Characterisation of Byzantine Glass Weights

A Mosaic of Colors: Investigating Production Technologies of Roman Glass Tesserae from Northeastern Italy

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