Late antique glass from Salapia: Tracking production and trading networks

The investigation of 38 late antique vessels from the archaeological excavation of Salapia has been performed using EMPA and LA-ICP-MS. The collection was made using impure sands and mineral soda. Among coloured glass, most vessels were made of 'fresh' glass. The use of colouring agents is rare, and most decoloured glass is obtained by Mn addition. Sb-decolouration is limited to one cup, and two colourless vessels show both manganese and antimony. As for provenance, the prevalence of Egyptian-HIMT glass over the Levantine is evident. Among Levantine glass, Jalame glass is represented, whereas Apollonia glass is absent. Among Egyptian (and deemed Egyptian) glass, the prevalence of HIMT glass over the other types has been observed. The high attestation of fresh glass, most notable in the earlier centuries, suggests the importation of glass in the form of finished objects, especially luxury vessels.

Automated summary

In this study, the investigation of 38 late antique vessels from the archaeological excavation of Salapia was conducted using EMPA and LA-ICP-MS. The majority of these vessels were made of 'fresh' glass, using impure sands and mineral soda. The use of colorants was rare, with most decolored glass obtained by adding manganese. The prevalence of Egyptian-HIMT glass over the Levantine was observed in terms of provenance.