Interpreting elements and isotopes in glass: A review

Substantial databases of elemental and isotopic analyses of ancient glass exist and are used to investigate raw material origin, trade, exchange, and processes such as mixing and recycling. However, the chemistry of archaeological glass may be challenging to the untrained. The paper provides structured information on the origin of chemical elements and their isotopes in ancient glass. It details some of the functions of individual elements in the glass and from which raw material(s) or process(es) they originate.     

Roman lead mining in Germany: its origin and development through time deduced from lead isotope provenance studies

High precision lead isotope analysis by Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was applied to the investigation of more than 240 Roman lead objects from several archaeological sites in Germany, in order to obtain information on the pattern of Roman mining activity and ore processing in the area. Measurements of ore samples from German deposits east (Siegerland, Lahn-Dill, Ems) and west of the Rhine (Eifel, Hunsrueck) were made and supplemented with data from literature to create a data bank of lead isotope ratios of European lead occurrences. Comparing the isotope ratios of lead objects with those from German ore deposits shows that the source of over 85% of the objects is Eifel ore deposits, but that, in the early years, the Romans also imported lead from the Southern Massif Central and later from Britain.     

Local recipes or distant commodities? Lead isotope and chemical compositional analysis of glaze paints from the Salinas pueblos,New Mexico

For nearly four hundred years, Pueblo potters in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico produced technologically innovative glaze-decorated bowls and exchanged them widely among different villages. While potential sources of lead ores used to make glaze paints are found throughout the Rio Grande Valley region, researchers have only recently begun to identify which ore sources potters exploited and to understand the social and economic factors underlying patterns of ore resource use. In this paper we use stable lead isotope and electron microprobe analysis of glaze paints on Rio Grande Glaze Ware made at two Salinas pueblos to identify ore sources and glaze recipes used by their potters. Despite some isotopic overlap of ore sources, the lead isotope data point to regular exploitation of ores from the Socorro area of the southern Rio Grande. Salinas potters apparently used other sources as well, and likely mixed ores from different sources. We also identify four local glaze recipes that appear to incorporate multiple ore sources, suggesting that Salinas potters obtained raw ores rather than finished glaze paints.     

饱水平整漆膜保护方法在风篷岭汉墓出土漆器中的应用

漆器是研究古文化的实物资料,多有精美纹饰和铭文,但考古发掘出土的漆器多有饱水、糟朽和变形等病害,甚至胎体完全腐蚀,仅剩漆膜,且无法复原。在研究前人对漆膜保护的基础上,提出一种平整漆膜的保护方法,整形脱水后以棉纸为背衬、虫胶漆为粘接剂粘接漆膜,再用镶嵌磁铁的有机玻璃板夹住固定。成功保护了长沙风篷岭汉墓出土的60余件漆膜,为今后研究漆膜的保护修复方法提供参考作用。     

A seventeenth-century trade gun and associated collection from Pine Island,Alabama

A set of artifacts, apparently associated with human remains (one tooth), from Pine Island, Alabama, was donated to the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in 1915. In preparation for repatriation, this collection was investigated extensively by a volunteer team. This paper reports the results of this analysis, focusing especially on a new type of trade gun and the glass beads. The goal of the research is to provide an accurate date for the collection to assist in identifying the Native American group represented.     

Wine Bottles From Lisbon: Archaeometric Studies Of Two Archaeological Sites Dated From The 17th To The 19th Century

Two sets of wine bottles dated between the end of the 17th and the 19th centuries were characterized by means of μ‐PIXE (major and minor elements) and LA–ICP–MS (trace and REE elements). The fragmented wine bottles were recovered from two archaeological contexts in Lisbon and reach a total of 79 fragments. One of the archaeological bottle sets comes from a house structure that collapsed during the major earthquake in 1755, providing a precise terminus ante quem. The second set comes from the exploratory archaeological intervention performed in Rua do Arsenal, where the Côrte‐Real Palace (built in the 16th century), was discovered. From this site, posterior contexts dated up to the 19th century were considered. This systematic study allowed the glass to be identified as high‐lime, low‐alkali (HLLA) for all the considered chronologies. However, the 19th‐century bottles have a different HLLA composition, suggesting the use of synthetic soda. Comparison with data from literature showed some similarity with English, Belgium and French reported compositions. This is the first systematic attempt to characterize the composition of glass wine bottles circulating in Portugal, giving new insights into their probable provenances, and on the exchange between Portugal and its trading allies.     

海昏侯墓出土马蹄金、麟趾金内嵌物的分析研究

南昌西汉海昏侯墓发掘出土了数量较多的马蹄金,为汉代黄金货币的研究工作提供了宝贵资料,出土马蹄金内均存在镶嵌物,大部分腐蚀严重。结合偏光显微分析、背散射扫描电镜\能谱、红外光谱、X射线衍射光谱对海昏侯墓主棺头箱出土的部分马蹄金内嵌物进行分析研究,依据分析结果将马蹄金内嵌物分为透闪石软玉、蛋白石、铅钡玻璃和疑似高铅玻璃4种类型。其中,铅钡玻璃基本保留玻璃态,腐蚀产物随着埋藏环境的变化存在二次结晶现象,腐蚀的最终产物是碳酸铅;疑似高铅玻璃表现出完全不同的腐蚀状态,外层硅质成分较高形成较为致密的壳状结构,内部碳酸铅以葡萄状填充在少量的硅质成分中。研究结果可为后续的保护处理与马蹄金、麟趾金的复制工作提供理论支持。     

绚丽多彩的玻璃鼻烟壶

在清代数量众多的鼻烟壶中,以玻璃为材料制作的鼻烟壶成为一颗辉煌璀璨的艺术明珠。     

蚌埠双墩一号墓和三号墓出土玉器及玻璃器研究

采用质子激发X射线荧光(PIXE)、X射线衍射(XRD)和显微拉曼光谱(Raman)三种无损分析方法对安徽蚌埠双墩一号春秋墓和三号战国墓出土的玉器和玻璃器进行了综合研究。准确判定了玉器的材质和玻璃器的成分体系,并探讨了玉器的地质成因类型和沁蚀原因等。首次在淮河流域发现天河石玉器。     

山东济南刘家庄遗址商代青铜器科学分析研究

山东济南刘家庄遗址发掘出土一批带有铭文族徽的商代青铜器,其形制多与殷墟同类器物极为相似,表明晚商时期刘家庄地区居住着一支与商都殷墟有密切关系的氏族。针对该遗址出土动植物遗存、铜器铅同位素等方面已有学者开展了相关研究,取得了一定的研究成果。但总体上看,针对这批青铜器制作工艺、合金技术及矿料特征等科技分析数据偏少,与商都殷墟遗存的关系尚待进一步讨论分析。 本研究选取该遗址三座墓葬中29件青铜器(56个样品)为研究对象,利用扫描电镜及能谱仪、金相显微镜、VG Elemental型多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱仪和利曼Prodigy电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱仪,从青铜器合金组成、金相组织、铅同位素比值及特征微量元素等方面采集数据加以分析,再结合器物形制等考古学资料进行综合研究。 结果表明,刘家庄青铜器主要为铸造成型,合金组成为铅锡青铜、锡青铜、铅青铜、纯铜及铅砷青铜。大部分青铜器金相组织以α固溶体为基体,呈树枝状偏析,枝晶间分布(α+δ)共析体,部分共析体完全腐蚀,Pb相呈颗粒状零散分布或者完全腐蚀,局部区域如孔洞、枝干与缝隙间析出不规则形状铜晶粒。少数器物金相组织内部存在滑移线,推测器物可能经过铸后冷加工。铅同位素比值显示,此批青铜器高放射成因铅占比较高,与殷墟二、三期含高放射成因铅器物数据分布范围相对吻合,与殷墟一期、殷墟四期分布范围稍有差异。微量元素总体趋势以高含量Bi、As、Ag元素为特征,结果与殷墟青铜器微量元素分布模式相较接近。综合对比发现,刘家庄青铜器似乎与殷墟青铜器的主体原料相同。从器型上看,刘家庄青铜鼎、簋、觚形制与纹饰风格等,多与安阳殷墟青铜器尤其是与殷墟二期、三期保持较高的相关性。 本研究表明晚商时期海岱地区与殷墟中原地区交流密切,为商晚期青铜器生产来源与流通关系提供了新的证据。同时,该研究深化了对刘家庄商代青铜器本身的认识,补充完善了济南刘家庄青铜器科技分析内容及考古学研究信息,为深入了解商代时期海岱地区与殷墟之间的关系提供一个新的视角。