Two Glass Medallions: Sasanian Influence in Early Islamic Aqaba

'Atiqot 71 2012

HA-ESI 136 , 2024

2004

The glass presented here comes from the excavation of a complex of lecture halls located along the Theater Portico.1 The vast area of three superimposed medieval Muslim cemeteries and thick overlying dump strata produced a significant collection of glass fragments, second only to that found at Fustat. The range in date is from early Byzantine (to be reported on later) through Islamic, with a concentration in the Fatimid and Early Mamluk periods. As one would expect, this material is closely comparable with finds from other Islamic sites in Egypt and elsewhere in the region. The glass is overwhelmingly dominated by free-blown vessels. An outstanding feature is the large number of bottles, flasks and jars of different size, shape, decoration and function, but the variety of sherds makes it extremely difficult to identify specific vessel forms. Next in quantity are the open forms, consisting mainly of simple drinking beakers and bowls. The excavated area yielded a number of pieces of l...

BAR Publishing, 2019

The book investigates the contribution of glass finds to understanding the nature of the transition from Byzantine to Islamic rule in Syria-Palestine, by analysing numerous glass assemblages from Jerusalem and its environs. This original synthesis explores the nature of numerous types of glass objects, and their distinct distribution in various types of sites. Furthermore, the identification of trends of continuity and change in the fabrics, technologies, typologies and styles of the glass finds throughout this turbulent period, illuminates the nature of the processes undergone by the various communities in the Jerusalem area. The monograph comprises a newly established, comprehensive, up-to-date typo-chronology, based on hundreds of glass wares of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods from scores of excavations, in and around Jerusalem and in neighbouring regions. Additionally, a holistic study of lighting devices, glass lamps and windowpanes, includes a novel assessment of Christian, Muslim and Jewish written sources regarding lighting in religious buildings in Jerusalem in the relevant periods.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019

This paper presents data obtained by a combined chrono-typological and archaeometric study carried out on an assemblage of glassware and bracelets unearthed at the Ghaznavid Palace of Ghazni, Afghanistan. Pulsating trade and cultural centre located along the Silk Roads, the site of Ghazni has yielded evidence of an uninterrupted archaeological sequence, with settlement continuity spanning from pre-Islamic (2nd–9th/10th CE) to Islamic periods (end 10th–19th CE). Both glassware and bracelets were manufactured by using a plant ash-based glass, in line with Central Asian glassmaking technology. Furthermore, several compositional groups were identified, showing close affinities with other assemblages from Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Jordan.

Excavations by a PCMA team from the University of Warsaw in area U of the Kom el-Dikka site in Alexandria in 2012–2013 yielded a fair number of glass fragments. The assemblage comprised two distinct chronological groups: early Roman to late Roman/early Byzantine and Islamic-period glass. It consisted of plain, ordinary tableware, often made of very poor quality glass, undoubtedly of local, Alexandrian production, as well as luxury vessels, decorated in various techniques, representing imports, probably from Syria.

Annales du 21e Congrès de l’AIHV , 2021

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017

The paper reports and discusses data obtained by archaeological and archaeometric studies of glass vessels and tesserae from the qasr of Khirbet al-Mafjar (near Jericho, Palestine). Archaeological contextualisation of the site and chrono-typological study of glass vessels were associated to EPMA and LA-ICP-MS analyses, performed to characterise the composition of the glassy matrix (major and minor components as well as trace elements). Analyses allowed achieving meaningful and intriguing results, which gain insights into the production and consumption of glass vessels and tesserae in the near East during the Umayyad period (7-8th centuries). Within the analysed samples, both an Egyptian and a Levantine manufacture have been identified: such data provide evidence of a double supply of glass from Egypt and the Syro-Palestinian coast in the Umayyad period occurring not only in the glassware manufacture, but also in the production of base glass intended to be used in the manufacture of mosaic tesserae. Thus, the achieved results represent the first material evidence of a nonunivocal gathering of glass tesserae from Byzantium and the Byzantines in the manufacture of early Islamic mosaics.