HISTORY OF GLASS-MAKING FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE LATE 1st - EARLY 2nd MILLENNIUM AD: DISCOVERIES, METHODS AND RESEARCH RESULTS PART 1. LATE BRONZE AGE

The paper provides an overview of key world studies conducted in the 1990s-2010s on ancient glass-making in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Asia Minor during the Late Bronze Age. It focuses on new methods and approaches to the studies of ancient glass-making (examination of the concentration of trace elements and the isotopic composition of glass) that offered an opportunity to raise and address new tasks in determining glass provenance. The results of the studies show that, from the very early stage, glass-making was a multi-stage process where melting glass and making glass items were two specialized crafts. For the studied period existence of glass-making centers is reliably established for Egypt and Mesopotamia, in the latter case laboratory studies are of great importance as archaeological methods have not revealed any centers. Glass-making workshops in Mycenaean Greece and Asia Minor used imported raw glass from Egypt and Mesopotamia. Features that can distinguish between the production of Egyptian and Mesopotamian glassmaking centres were singled out.

Automated summary

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of key studies on ancient glass-making in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Asia Minor during the Late Bronze Age conducted in the 1990s-2010s. New methods and approaches to the studies of ancient glass-making are emphasized, offering insights into the specialized crafts of glass-making in the studied regions. The results suggest the existence of glass-making centers in Egypt and Mesopotamia, with distinguishing features identified between Egyptian and Mesopotamian glass-making centers.