Lead antimonate (Pb2Sb2O7) and lead stannate (Pb2SnO4) are both glass opacifiers and colorants. These compounds are dispersed in the vitreous matrix as fine particles and, due to the difference of refractive index between the crystals and the amorphous phase, prevent light from being completely transmitted, inducing the opaque aspect of the glass. Lead antimonate was used to produce opaque yellow glass from the beginning of glass production up to the Roman period. From about the 4th Century AD towards the end of the Roman period, lead stannate replaced lead antimonate in the production of opaque yellow glass artifacts (Tite et al., 2008). Only Lahil et al. (2011) reported the presence of lead stannate in glass tesserae dated before the 4th Century AD. In this study we explore the presence of lead stannate in mosaic glassy tesserae from several archaeological sites, earlier than the 4th Century AD. The mosaic tesserae here studied come from Taormina (II Cent. BC), Lipari, Tusa, Piazza Armerina (III-IV Century AD), and Pompei (I Cent. BC) archaeological sites. The multidisciplinary analytical approach includes Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry with Laser Ablation (LA-ICP-MS). The overall results of this study extend our archaeometric knowledge of the glass mosaic tesserae investigating the nature and the chemical composition – including also to the trace elements – of the glass matrix, the colorants and the opacifying agents in a very wide set of samples. Lahlil, S., Cotte, M., Biron, I., Szlachetko, J., Menguy, N. Susini, J. (2011): Synthesizing lead antimonate in ancient and modern opaque glass. J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 26, 1040-1050. Tite, M., Pradell, T., Shortland, A. (2008): Discovery, production and use of tin based opacifiers in glasses, enamels and glazes from the Late Iron Age onwards: a reassessment. Archaeometry, 50, 67-84.
Verifying the presence of lead stannate in opaque mosaic glass tesserae (2nd Cent. BC-4th Cent. AD) from Southern Italy
Sabatino G.
;Italiano F.;Marcianò G.;Quartieri S.;Di Bella M.
2017-01-01
Abstract
Lead antimonate (Pb2Sb2O7) and lead stannate (Pb2SnO4) are both glass opacifiers and colorants. These compounds are dispersed in the vitreous matrix as fine particles and, due to the difference of refractive index between the crystals and the amorphous phase, prevent light from being completely transmitted, inducing the opaque aspect of the glass. Lead antimonate was used to produce opaque yellow glass from the beginning of glass production up to the Roman period. From about the 4th Century AD towards the end of the Roman period, lead stannate replaced lead antimonate in the production of opaque yellow glass artifacts (Tite et al., 2008). Only Lahil et al. (2011) reported the presence of lead stannate in glass tesserae dated before the 4th Century AD. In this study we explore the presence of lead stannate in mosaic glassy tesserae from several archaeological sites, earlier than the 4th Century AD. The mosaic tesserae here studied come from Taormina (II Cent. BC), Lipari, Tusa, Piazza Armerina (III-IV Century AD), and Pompei (I Cent. BC) archaeological sites. The multidisciplinary analytical approach includes Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry with Laser Ablation (LA-ICP-MS). The overall results of this study extend our archaeometric knowledge of the glass mosaic tesserae investigating the nature and the chemical composition – including also to the trace elements – of the glass matrix, the colorants and the opacifying agents in a very wide set of samples. Lahlil, S., Cotte, M., Biron, I., Szlachetko, J., Menguy, N. Susini, J. (2011): Synthesizing lead antimonate in ancient and modern opaque glass. J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 26, 1040-1050. Tite, M., Pradell, T., Shortland, A. (2008): Discovery, production and use of tin based opacifiers in glasses, enamels and glazes from the Late Iron Age onwards: a reassessment. Archaeometry, 50, 67-84.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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