Dispersion of HIMT glass in Italy between the fourth and seventh century AD

Since the 1960s, research on the chemical composition of ancient archaeological glass has been executed. It has become clear that raw ancient glass exists of three main ingredients: silica, lime, and a flux. Next to these ingredients, iron is always found in the mix which gives glass naturally a green or blue colour. Around the fourth century AD, a new type of glass was introduced. This glass type was probably made in Egypt and is distinguishable from the other compositional types of glass by its yellow to green colour. Research indicates that the glass has high levels of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and titanium (Ti) in its composition. This is why, in 1994, the term ‘HIMT’ glass is introduced by prof. I. Freestone. This research focuses on the dispersion of HIMT glass during the fourth to seventh centuries AD on the Italian peninsula to fill in gaps in the knowledge of the general dispersion of HIMT glass throughout the Mediterranean area. HIMT glass was not the only type of glass...Show moreSince the 1960s, research on the chemical composition of ancient archaeological glass has been executed. It has become clear that raw ancient glass exists of three main ingredients: silica, lime, and a flux. Next to these ingredients, iron is always found in the mix which gives glass naturally a green or blue colour. Around the fourth century AD, a new type of glass was introduced. This glass type was probably made in Egypt and is distinguishable from the other compositional types of glass by its yellow to green colour. Research indicates that the glass has high levels of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and titanium (Ti) in its composition. This is why, in 1994, the term ‘HIMT’ glass is introduced by prof. I. Freestone. This research focuses on the dispersion of HIMT glass during the fourth to seventh centuries AD on the Italian peninsula to fill in gaps in the knowledge of the general dispersion of HIMT glass throughout the Mediterranean area. HIMT glass was not the only type of glass on the market. In this research, the focus lies on HIMT glass, but to provide more context about the general glass market, also other types of glass like Egypt I and II and Levantine glass are being discussed. It is generally accepted that there are two primary glass production areas for all the ancient glass: the Levant and Egypt. The glass was formed here into large chunks which were shipped throughout the Mediterranean area to secondary production areas. There the glass was formed into vessels or other useable objects. To understand where the glass originates, chemical research is performed. Hereby, not only the chemical elements, which could be added intentionally or unintentionally, are taken into account, also isotopes, like neodymium (Nd) and strontium (Sr) which respectively indicate the age of the sediments and the source of lime, are being researched. This results in the distinction of several glass compositional groups. This research aims to answer the following question: ‘How is HIMT glass dispersed in Italy during the fourth to seventh centuries AD?’. After providing information on the chemical composition of glass and the existing glass compositional groups, an overview is given of 17 sites on the Italian peninsula where HIMT glass is present in the glass assemblage. These sites are researched using archaeological publications. A distinction is made between production sites, where the glass was formed into objects and where production waste was found, and consumption sites, where the objects were solely 68 used. Looking at the context of the sites and the composition of the glass assemblages found there, an overview of the presence of HIMT glass on the Italian peninsula could be provided. To understand the specific dispersion of the glass, three main subjects, trade in the Mediterranean area, trade in Italy, and recycling practices are researched. The research concludes that the glass was shipped from Egypt into Italy via multiple ports and trade routes after which the glass was spread throughout Italy. HIMT glass was mostly used for common ware, because of its relatively low quality, and therefore also useful for recycling. Since this research is based on the existing publications of sites containing HIMT glass, future research could include looking at yet unpublished sites, the data from already published assemblages that have not been used for this thesis, and the possibility of regional differences in shapes of HIMT glass.Show less

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Dispersion of HIMT glass in Italy between the fourth and seventh century AD