The composition of ‘naturally coloured’ late Roman vessel glass from Britain and the implications for models of glass production and supply

Naturally coloured, blue or green are the most common glass colours found in assemblages from the Roman world from the end of the 1st century BC onwards. In the 4th century two different compositions have come to dominate this group, ‘HIMT’ and ‘Levantine 1’ glasses, both of which are now thought to have been produced in the eastern Mediterranean. Using Romano-British glass assemblages from the 4th and 5th centuries, it is shown here that although the two naturally coloured glass types predominate, by far the most common composition in British assemblages is HIMT, although older, earlier blue-green compositions are still present. The earliest date HIMT could be identified in these assemblages is around AD 330, although two distinct compositions can be identified within this group which relate to changes in composition over time. A similar change over time is seen in the Levantine 1 glasses. The reasons for these patterns within the assemblages are explored within the archaeological evidence currently available for glass production and consumption in the Roman world.     

Study of medieval glass fragments from Savona (Italy) and their relation with the glass produced in Altare

Altare was in the medieval and post-medieval period an important glassmaking center in the Liguria region in Northern Italy. The first historical evidence of glassmaking in Altare is dated to the twelfth century. In spite of that, due to the continuity of glassmaking up to the present time and the contemporaneous intensive urbanization of the territory, no medieval glass from Altare or its immediate vicinity has been analyzed up to now. In this work, glass from archaeological excavations in the center of Savona, city with close ties with the glassmaking center, was studied. Glass fragments, dated from the tenth to the sixteenth century were selected from the collections of the Archaeological Museum in Savona and non-destructively analyzed with quantitative PIXE-PIGE. The resulting compositions, compared with known glass productions of the same time and evaluated on the basis of historical documents, offer an interesting panorama on the variety of glass circulation in Liguria.     

A Wax Effigy Pierced by Three Bones: The Pharaonic Origins of a Late-Antique Cursing Ritual?

Papyrus fragments from a late-antique Greek magical handbook preserve a unique recipe that directs us to make a wax “voodoo doll” and pierce it with three bones – “the left one, the right one and the one from the back” – “of an eisphatēs”, a previously unknown Greek word that has been emended to mean “sacrificial victim” (sphaktēs) or “dove” (phattēs). Emendation is not warranted, however, because the word is probably a local and previously unknown Egyptian term for the Nile catfish, which has three distinctive nail-like spines – the right and left pectoral and the dorsal – that match those of the eisphatēs. The bone of this fish is, moreover, used in a native Egyptian cursing ritual of Pharaonic date also involving a wax “voodoo doll”, that is inscribed with the bone, rather than pierced by it.     

徐州狮子山楚王陵出土金缕玉衣和镶玉漆棺的玉料组分特征及产地来源研究

为了解西汉玉器的组分特征及玉料来源,利用显微放大观察结合电子探针、红外光谱、拉曼光谱和LA-ICP-MS技术,对徐州狮子山西汉楚王陵出土的部分玉片(玉衣片和玉棺片)样品进行了检测分析。检测结果表明:1)显微放大观察发现:出土玉片样品均含石墨包裹体,不可能来自不含石墨包裹体的福建南平闪石玉和江苏溧阳小梅岭闪石玉。2)电子探针结果显示:出土玉片样品为透闪石;出土玉片样品的ω(FeO)/%范围为0.287～0.925,不可能来自富Fe的玛纳斯闪石玉及贫Fe的的青海闪石玉;ω(Al_2O_3)/%远远高于河南栾川软玉。3)红外光谱分析显示:出土玉片样品为透闪石,与电子探针结果相符;玉片样品的M-OH伸缩振动谱带位置集中在3674cm~(-1)附近,说明玉料Mg含量较高。4)拉曼光谱分析显示:出土玉片样品具有和透闪石矿物共同的特征拉曼谱峰,为透闪石质软玉,与电子探针及红外光谱结果相符。5)LA-ICP-MS分析显示:出土玉衣片样品的稀土元素质量分数及分馏情况与辽宁岫岩闪石玉、四川汶川龙溪闪石玉及河南栾川闪石玉有所不同;Cr、Ni、Co含量较低,指示玉料来自热液交代型镁质大理岩型软玉矿床;Sr含量较低,排除了来自江苏溧阳小梅岭闪石玉的可能。分析结果表明,徐州狮子山楚王陵出土玉器玉料来源主要和新疆和田地区玉料有关;新疆和田地区的闪石玉至西汉早期已覆盖到楚文化区域,并且成为宫廷玉料的主流来源。     

Archaeometric investigation of Roman tesserae from Herculaneum (Italy) by the combined use of complementary micro-destructive analytical techniques

Vitreous tesserae from two mosaics in Herculaneum (Italy) dating from the 1st century AD have been investigated in order to gather information on Imperial Age opaque glass. The combined use of complementary micro-destructive analytical techniques, namely optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) allowed to define the nature of formers, fluxes, chromophores and opacifying compounds and to determine the type of raw materials employed for their introduction. The results confirmed the high technological level of Imperial Age glassmakers and clarified some details of the production processes. Experimental data have been obtained concerning formation of antimony-based opacifiers. The presence of tin-containing Ca- and Pb-antimonates has been ascertained in various green, yellow and turquoise tesserae. Moreover, unusual divergences from the established Roman age ‘low magnesia–low potash’ (LMLK) glass composition have been found for some red and green samples.     

Evidence of early medieval soda ash glass in the archaeological site of San Genesio (Tuscany)

The early medieval period marks an important turning point in the history of glassmaking, since it comprises the transition period between the mineral-based silica-soda-lime glass of the Roman tradition and the plant ash-based glass. With the aim of expanding the knowledge on the glass recipes and technologies of this period, 37 glass samples were analyzed, originating from the archaeological excavations of San Genesio (Tuscany) and dated from the fourth to the eleventh century. The major and minor element concentrations were measured with SEM-EDX, while the trace elements were quantified with LA-ICP-MS. The results were compared with published compositions of glass samples of similar age in order to highlight differences and similarities. The results offer a very interesting view on the glass circulation in the religious/residential/manufacturing center of San Genesio in the early medieval period. Most of the glass has a typical late-Roman composition, but some glass fragments are identified as soda ash glass. These are among the earliest medieval ash-fluxed glasses ever found in the Italian peninsula.     

Influence of Taoism on the invention of the purple pigment used on the Qin terracotta warriors

Until the 19th century, most pigments were based on naturally occurring colored minerals and dyes, with three significant exceptions: Egyptian Blue, Chinese Blue/Purple and Maya Blue. The former two are alkaline-earth copper silicates, and because of this similarity it has been proposed that the Chinese pigments were derived from Egyptian Blue. Herein, we analyzed clumps of pigment from the Qin warriors and discovered that in spite of the structural similarity to Egyptian Blue, the micro-structural morphology of Chinese Purple is very different. Therefore, we believe that the synthesis technology for the Chinese pigments was a by-product of high-refractive index glasses (artificial jades) produced by Taoist monks. Further, the disappearance of these pigments from Chinese art and monuments concurrently with the decline of Taoism not only substantiates the link between the two, but also gives a striking example of how cultural changes in the society affected the scientific developments in ancient China.     

科技考古与文物科技保护知识图谱初探

本工作对五本国际期刊中10768篇样本数据的产出与分布情况进行了统计分析,并通过VosViewer软件开展了研究机构、作者群、关键词的知识图谱分析,展现了国际科技考古与文物科技保护领域科学知识的主题范围、结构关系。在此基础上,提出了中国文化遗产保护学科知识体系的构建思路。     

试说汉魏南北朝碑刻婚姻词

汉魏南北朝碑刻中的婚姻词数量可观,时代确定,材料可靠,是语言研究的重要资料。通过对汉魏南北朝碑刻婚姻词的考释、分析,揭示其基本面貌、语义特征,同时也考察社会历史文化因素对这类词语的影响。     

中国文化自然遗产管理评价的指标体系初探

化和自然遗产管理的研究引起学术界重视。目前献集中于研究转型期遗产管理的组织结构的调整,但缺少在管理机制的设计和操作层面上开展研究。本试图从遗产管理绩效评估入手开始对遗产管理激励机制的探索。初步构建了以遗产保护为基本目标和以社区发展、游客管理和经营开发为贡献目标的遗产管理评价指标体系,并对评价的原则和关键指标确定等进行思考。     

Dating and provenance of glass artefacts excavated from the ancient city of Tall Zirā‛a,Jordan

Fourteen glass objects recovered from excavations at the ancient city of Tall Zirā‛a, Jordan, were analysed using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to determine the period and origin of manufacture. The composition of glasses manufactured in the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and Iron Age are distinctly different, therefore major element analysis can be used to distinguish between the groups relatively easily. The LA-ICP-MS analysis provided quantitative trace element data which were used to determine the provenance of those glasses identified as LBA. This research discusses the implications of the presence of both Egyptian and Mesopotamian LBA glasses and examines the varying compositions and colour strategies employed in both the LBA and Iron Age objects. Specifically, glass in the LBA was considered to be one of the highest status items attainable, playing an instrumental role in diplomatic gift-giving. When considered with the archaeological information, the significance of these finds at Tall Zirā‛a indicates that this city was a settlement of high status, not primarily a convenient trading stop on the Transjordan route.     

春秋战国时期优抚思想管见

优抚思想在春秋战国时期的发展．与长期的战争环境有直接关系,是时代的产物。战争要求军事家和政治家们调动一切手段来激励将士奋勇杀敌,这是优抚思想产生和发展的最重要动因。春秋战国时期的优抚范围涉及所有将士,优抚对象有烈士家属、现役军人家属、残疾军人和没有后代的阵亡将士等;优抚内容既有物质奖赏．也有精神鼓励;优抚费用来自国家税收和“以战养战”。     

祁门县明清时期民间民俗碑刻的调查与研究

经过两年多时间的田野调查,我们在素有“九山半水半分田,包括道路和庄园”的祁门县境内,先后发现有132块明清时期的民间民俗碑刻。它或立在村头水口,或立在事发地点,或立在祠堂庙宇,起到告之、提醒和警示作用。这些碑刻以其独特的存在形式反映了明清时期徽州府祁门县民间的生活习俗、宗教信仰、宗族条规、山民喜好,如封山、修路、做桥、建祠、续谱、教育、风水等活动,为研究徽州民间民俗提供了第一手资料。     

Analysis of polychrome Iron Age glass vessels from Mediterranean I,II and III groups by LA-ICP-MS

In this work the analytical results obtained by ICP-MS with laser ablation solid sampling and SEM-EDS for some polychrome glass vessels from the Iron Age are presented and discussed. The samples, coming from Etruscan sites near Adria (Northern Italy), belong to the so-called Mediterranean Groups I, II and III and are dated from the 5th, 3rd and 2nd century B.C., respectively. To date, analytical data for only two sets of vessels of the Iron Age have been discussed in the literature. In spite of the low number of available samples, this is the first time that vessels of all three periods are analytically compared. Elemental concentration data show that the samples can be classified as low-magnesia-low potash (LMLK) soda-lime-silica glasses, with low phosphorus and titanium contents, in agreement with data for similar samples of the same age. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of the contents of many elements characterizing the siliceous sands showed three distinct sets corresponding to the three periods. Since the sets indicate different provenances of the sands it seems rational to assume that different glassmaking locations were involved. Chromophores and opacifiers of the blue bodies and the yellow, white and turquoise decorations of the vessels were analytically identified, while the nature of the corresponding ores was hypothesized.     

北京昌平沙河镇出土蜻蜓眼玻璃珠的科学分析与研究

为探讨北京昌平沙河镇墓葬出土的三枚蜻蜓眼玻璃珠的质地和来源,利用X射线衍射分析（XRD）、激光拉曼光谱分析（LRS）、便携式能量色散X射线荧光分析（PXRF）三种无损分析方法,对玻璃珠基体和眼珠分别进行了结构和化学组成的无损伤测试。结果表明,这三枚蜻蜓眼珠的基质为玻璃态物质,其化学成分表明该玻璃属于钠钙硅酸盐（Na₂OCaOSiO₂）系统;Cu和Co是主要的着色元素。考虑到三枚珠子采用的钴料成分为高铁低锰的进口钴料,同时通过与国内外相似珠子的对比,推测这三枚蜻蜓眼玻璃珠是外国进口物的可能性较高。蜻蜓眼玻璃珠所在墓葬群虽为清代,但根据初步的分析研究可推断,墓主通过收藏或其他途径获得并将其作为随葬品。