The roots of provenance: glass, plants and isotopes in the islamic middle east

J. Henderson, J. Evans, Y. Barkoudah

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Glass - one of the most prestigious materials of the early Islamic empire - was traded not only as vessels and bangles but as raw glass blocks. One of its raw materials, plant-ash, was also traded. This means that tracking the production of this precious commodity is especially challenging. The authors show that while chemical composition can relate to vessel type, it is a combination of chemical compositions with strontium and neodymium isotope ratios that is most likely to lead to (a geological) provenance for its manufacture. The materials used by the glassmakers were local sand and plant ashes. Reported here is the first application of the method to the glass made at the primary glass making centre of al-Raqqa, Syria in an environmental context.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)414-429
Number of pages16
JournalAntiquity
Volume83
Issue number320
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Chemical analysis
  • Glass
  • Islamic
  • Isotopes
  • Plants
  • Syria
  • Trade

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Archaeology
  • General Arts and Humanities

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