INVESTIGATION OF LATE-ANTIQUE AND EARLY-CHRISTIAN GLASS ARTEFACTS FROM SOUTH-WEST BULGARIA BY MEANS OF ELECTROTHERMAL VAPORIZATION INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROMETRY

In the present study an electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric (ETV-ICP-OES) method was used to establish the elemental composition of late-antique and early-Christian glass artefacts from South-West Bulgaria. The finely ground glass samples were analyzed directly and CF4 was used as evaporation and transport modifier. For each analyte calibration performed with dried aqueous standard solutions and certified reference materials with different matrices gave a common calibration curve. The analytical data obtained were used to determine the chemical type of glass and the fluxing agents, to establish ancient technological recipes of glassmaking, as well as for provenance studies.