Glass Reflecting Value: a multi-disciplinary study of Roman glass from Karanis, Egypt

Summary

This multi-disciplinary study of glass from Karanis, Egypt combines archaeological, chemical compositional data, ethnoarchaeology, and historical insights to assess how objects were valued in the ancient world. The the selection of raw materials is investigated through onsite portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry analysis of recently excavated Karanis glass dating primarily to the late Roman period (4th-6th centuries CE). Quantitative analysis of these data informed by pXRF and electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) of museum specimens from Karanis, helps discern compositional groups. At least two groups most likely represent recycled glass due to the presence of both manganese and antimony above trace levels. This research contributes to the debate regarding the location, organization, and scale of glass manufacturing during the Roman period. Closer examination of three morphological types found at Karanis— unguentaria, rectangular bottles, and oil flasks — reveals relationships among compositional types, archaeological context, and social functions of objects. In the late Roman period, an age when blown glass was commoditized and available to a broader demographic, Karanidians used high-quality colorless oil flasks as a means of conspicuous consumption. Glass objects valued for the materials they contained were often made from lower quality recycled glass.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage