The first archaeometric data on polychrome Iron Age glass from sites located in northern Italy

A large sample set of transparent and opaque glass artefacts recovered from Etruscan contexts in northern Italy (Bologna and Spina (FE) necropoleis) and dated to a period between the 6th and 4th century BC are analysed in this paper. Samples of highly decorated beads, spindle whorls and vessels of the ‘Mediterranean Group I’ (Alabastron, Oinochoes, Amphoriskos) were selected in order to determine whether these different glass artefacts were produced at the same manufacturing site. While the vessels almost certainly originate from Greece, the beads could derive from a more ancient local production ascertained at the site of Frattesina (Rovigo, Italy) and dated to the Bronze Age.