Journal papers by Maria Kaparou
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2023
During the Late Bronze Age, the Peloponnese with its palatial centers becomes the heartland of th... more During the Late Bronze Age, the Peloponnese with its palatial centers becomes the heartland of the Mycenaean world, resulting in an idiosyncratic material culture within the archaeological record, with glass constituting undoubtedly an important agent gaining prominence from the 15 th cent. BC onwards, at the time when the palaces start rising and turning out to be characteristic to the Mycenaean material culture of the palatial elite. In this paper, the chemical composition of eleven (11) glass beads and relief plaques from three tombs of the necropolis in the area of Palaia Epidavros, Argolid in Greece have been studied to discuss aspects related to the nature of technology and provenance of fifteenth to eleventh century BC dated Mycenaean glass jewelry. The study resulted in the chemical fingerprinting of the collection by means of micro-PIXE succeeding in highlighting interesting technological aspects and assigning a likely origin of the studied samples. Importantly, since part of the assemblage had been studied in the past with the application of SEM-EDS and pXRF, the use of mPIXE enabled an enhanced discussion on glass related topics by comparing the results obtained.
Session 346_call for abstracts_EAA 2023, 2023
Late Bronze Age to Pre-Roman Times Vitreous materials were broadly circulated in the Mediterranea... more Late Bronze Age to Pre-Roman Times Vitreous materials were broadly circulated in the Mediterranean and across Europe throughout late prehistory and history, holding an abundant and ubiquitous presence in burial and settlement contexts. Since the Late Bronze Age onwards, long distance exchange systems evolved, connecting the shores of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Mesopotamia and the Nile in Egypt with the Aegean, Europe and the coast of the Baltic and North Seas, establishing a vast network exchanging materials and ideas. Archaeological and archaeometric research in recent decades has greatly enhanced our understanding of the production and distribution of vitreous materials across time and space, resulting in a complex, yet fascinating, picture of the socioeconomic and cultural aspects underlying vitreous production. Our insight into the technology and provenance of earlier glass artifacts in Europe and geographically related areas, while in expanse, still requires studies aggregating the material culture of the regions involved in this trade and investigating the patterning of vitreous materials in the areas they reached. Alongside, vitreous materials do suffer degradation. the degree, extent and nature of which critically distorts the visual characteristics of the artefacts affecting the way in which the material can be studied and interpreted. The central themes to this session revolve around provenance, occurrence and the role of vitreous materials in the Late Bronze Age towards pre-Roman times in Europe, the Mediterranean, Egypt and the Near East, alongside corrosion and preservation issues.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences , 2022
Glass was undoubtedly an important element of the Mycenaean material culture. Consequential achie... more Glass was undoubtedly an important element of the Mycenaean material culture. Consequential achievements of this technology are pronounced in the archeological record in the sixteenth cent. BC onwards, with glass reaching prominence at the time of the rise of the palaces. A major shift in the technological choices occurred c. 800 BC in the Aegean or earlier, when the plant alkali source was substituted by a mineral one, marking the start of a new technological era. The aim of this paper is to consolidate aspects of our understanding of how glass was produced, traded, and used from the Late Bronze Age through the Hellenistic times. Thus, an attempt is made to start a discussion towards understanding production and consumption of glass in Greece in these times.
Phys. Chem. Glasses: Eur. J. Glass Sci. Technol. B, February 2013, 54 (1), 52–59, 2013
Ancient glass samples from Greece were studied by a combination of SEM/EDX to determine their che... more Ancient glass samples from Greece were studied by a combination of SEM/EDX to determine their chemical composition
and infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy for their glass structure. The archaeological samples consisted of three blue
vitreous Mycenaean relief fragments from the Late Bronze Age. The chemical composition of the samples is consistent
with typical soda–lime–silica glasses, with the possible use of plant ash instead of soda in preparation. The deep blue
colour of the samples is due to tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions. The infrared spectra of the Mycenaean relief fragments
deviate from all other previously measured ancient samples as the spectra resemble those of highly polymerized silica
or highly polymerized low alkaline borosilicate glasses. Only spectra taken on relatively fresh cuts are consistent with
the analyzed soda–lime–silica glass composition. Measurements on cuts on the sides of the fragments show that only a
very thin layer (<1 μm) on the front and back of the samples has a fully polymerized glass network. Strong background
fluorescence hindered Raman spectroscopy in the highly polymerized surface layer. Boron could not be detected by SEM/
EDX (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) because of the thinness of the outer layers,
whereas reflectance infrared measurements were not impacted by the bulk glass composition. Possible chemical reaction
mechanisms, conditions and likely boron sources leading to the formation of this outer layer are discussed.
A B S T R A C T Major glass-technology achievements and the spread of glass artifacts are mostly ... more A B S T R A C T Major glass-technology achievements and the spread of glass artifacts are mostly outlined in the archaeological record between the 16th and 12th c. BCE with its advances being linked to Mesopotamia and Egypt (Henderson, 2013 [1]). During the Late Bronze Age, Peloponnese is acknowledged as a major area of the Mycenaean world witnessed by the wealth and ubiquity of its material culture. Within the framework of a large research program, glass collections from 16th–13th c. BCE Late Bronze Age/Mycenaean sites in NE Peloponnese, Greece, have been studied analytically and tailored to address issues related to questions such as, whether glass was imported in the form of ingots and/or previously shaped artifacts via exchange routes or produced in local glassmaking workshops. A first study of the collection towards its state of preservation and provenance assignments was presented in Zacharias et al. (2013) [2]. The aim of this paper is to identify the technology and source of the primary glass used and, thus, to appoint the Mycenaean glass industry of Argolid within the broader Mycenaean, Mediterranean network and further Egypt and Mesopotamia. The study resulted in the chemical fingerprinting of the collection with the use of the totally non-invasive techniques of Optical Microscopy (OM), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analyser-(SEM/EDS) in quasi invasive mode. The statistical analyses provided technological evidence for compositional similarities among the samples that form two major compositional groups, with at least the one associated with artifacts originating from Egypt. Regarding their coloration at least two cobalt colorants can be identified with respect to the cobalt-associated impurities.
Papers by Maria Kaparou
Heritage
Thebes, located in Boeotia in central Greece, is archaeologically and historically attested to ha... more Thebes, located in Boeotia in central Greece, is archaeologically and historically attested to have been an important centre ever since the Early Bronze Age. Regularly sustained glass working, testified by numerous finds in burial and settlement contexts, must have taken place since the Mycenaean times. In the current study, 35 samples of glass beads (30) and vessels (5), dating roughly from the 7th to 1st cent. BCE (Archaic to the Hellenistic/Early Roman era) are the subject of research. The aim was to assess some technological aspects of the assemblage, provide a chemical fingerprint for it and suggest a likely provenance, in an attempt to discuss issues of glass consumption and trade at a given era and culture. A combination of quasi-destructive techniques was applied, namely LA-ICP-MS and SEM-EDS for the identification of the major, minor and trace element composition. The results have provided evidence for different technological choices, reflected in the choice of raw material...
Microchemical Journal, 2018
Major glass-technology achievements and the spread of glass artifacts are mostly outlined in the ... more Major glass-technology achievements and the spread of glass artifacts are mostly outlined in the archaeological record between the 16 th and 12 th c. BC with its advances being linked to Mesopotamia and Egypt [1]. During the Late Bronze Age, Peloponnese is acknowledged as a major area of the Mycenaean world witnessed by the wealth and ubiquity of its material culture. Within the framework of a large research program, glass collections from 16 th-13 th c. BC Late Bronze Age/Mycenaean sites in NE Peloponnese, Greece, have been studied analytically and tailored to address issues related to questions such as, whether glass was imported in the form of ingots and/or previously shaped artifacts via exchange routes or produced in local glassmaking workshops. A first study of the collection towards its state of preservation and provenance assignments was presented in Zacharias et al., 2013 [2]. The aim of this paper is to identify the technology and source of the primary glass used and, thus, to appoint the Mycenaean glass industry of Argolid within the broader Mycenaean, Mediterranean network and further Egypt and Mesopotamia. The study resulted in the chemical fingerprinting of the collection with the use of the totally non-invasive techniques of Optical Microscopy (OM), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analyser-(SEM/EDS) in quasi invasive mode. The statistical analyses provided technological evidence for compositional similarities amongst the samples that form two major compositional groups, with at least the one associated with artifacts originating from Egypt. Regarding their coloration at least two cobalt colorants can be identified with respect to the cobalt-associated impurities.
ABSTRACT Ancient glass samples from Greece were studied by a combination of SEM/EDX to determine ... more ABSTRACT Ancient glass samples from Greece were studied by a combination of SEM/EDX to determine their chemical composition and infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy for their glass structure. The archaeological samples consisted of three blue vitreous Mycenaean relief fragments from the Late Bronze Age. The chemical composition of the samples is consistent with typical soda-lime-silica glasses, with the possible use of plant ash instead of soda in preparation. The deep blue colour of the samples is due to tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions. The infrared spectra of the Mycenaean relief fragments deviate from all other previously measured ancient samples as the spectra resemble those of highly polymerized silica or highly polymerized low alkaline borosilicate glasses. Only spectra taken on relatively fresh cuts are consistent with the analyzed soda-lime-silica glass composition. Measurements on cuts on the sides of the fragments show that only a very thin layer (&lt;1 μm) on the front and back of the samples has a fully polymerized glass network. Strong background fluorescence hindered Raman spectroscopy in the highly polymerized surface layer. Boron could not be detected by SEM/EDX (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) because of the thinness of the outer layers, whereas reflectance infrared measurements were not impacted by the bulk glass composition. Possible chemical reaction mechanisms, conditions and likely boron sources leading to the formation of this outer layer are discussed.
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Journal papers by Maria Kaparou
and infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy for their glass structure. The archaeological samples consisted of three blue
vitreous Mycenaean relief fragments from the Late Bronze Age. The chemical composition of the samples is consistent
with typical soda–lime–silica glasses, with the possible use of plant ash instead of soda in preparation. The deep blue
colour of the samples is due to tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions. The infrared spectra of the Mycenaean relief fragments
deviate from all other previously measured ancient samples as the spectra resemble those of highly polymerized silica
or highly polymerized low alkaline borosilicate glasses. Only spectra taken on relatively fresh cuts are consistent with
the analyzed soda–lime–silica glass composition. Measurements on cuts on the sides of the fragments show that only a
very thin layer (<1 μm) on the front and back of the samples has a fully polymerized glass network. Strong background
fluorescence hindered Raman spectroscopy in the highly polymerized surface layer. Boron could not be detected by SEM/
EDX (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) because of the thinness of the outer layers,
whereas reflectance infrared measurements were not impacted by the bulk glass composition. Possible chemical reaction
mechanisms, conditions and likely boron sources leading to the formation of this outer layer are discussed.
Papers by Maria Kaparou
and infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy for their glass structure. The archaeological samples consisted of three blue
vitreous Mycenaean relief fragments from the Late Bronze Age. The chemical composition of the samples is consistent
with typical soda–lime–silica glasses, with the possible use of plant ash instead of soda in preparation. The deep blue
colour of the samples is due to tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions. The infrared spectra of the Mycenaean relief fragments
deviate from all other previously measured ancient samples as the spectra resemble those of highly polymerized silica
or highly polymerized low alkaline borosilicate glasses. Only spectra taken on relatively fresh cuts are consistent with
the analyzed soda–lime–silica glass composition. Measurements on cuts on the sides of the fragments show that only a
very thin layer (<1 μm) on the front and back of the samples has a fully polymerized glass network. Strong background
fluorescence hindered Raman spectroscopy in the highly polymerized surface layer. Boron could not be detected by SEM/
EDX (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) because of the thinness of the outer layers,
whereas reflectance infrared measurements were not impacted by the bulk glass composition. Possible chemical reaction
mechanisms, conditions and likely boron sources leading to the formation of this outer layer are discussed.