THE AUTHENTICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GLASS OBJECTS EXCAVATED FROM TELL ES-SUKHNAH, JORDAN

Abstract

A sample of 29 glasses uncovered from Tell Es-Sukhnah, Jordan, has been subjected for
XRF analysis. The group of sample consisted of two main categories: samples from glass
vessels and glass bracelets. The main aim of this analysis is to identify and authenticate
the raw materials used in glass production, manufacture technology and the technical
choices related to glass objects from the Roman to Byzantine and Islamic occupations at
the site. Chronologically speaking, the chemical analysis of the samples enables the dis-
tinguishing between Roman soda natron glass and Islamic soda plant ash glass at this
freshly excavated site. The most important observation was that the transition in the use
of traditional methods and of the same sources of raw materials for glass-making oc-
curred, with obvious modifications, from natron to plant ash and from calcium-rich sand
to calcium -free sand through the period from 1 st to10 th century AD at this southern Le-
vantine site.