An Investigation of Early Islamic Glass Production at Raqqa, Syria

Abstract

The excavations of an Abbasid (late 8th - early 9th century) industrial complex at Raqqa in northern Syria has revealed the first comprehensive evidence in the Islamic world for the manufacture of glass. This paper presents a summary of the results of two seasons of excavations and of the scientific investigations of the two phases of production on the site. The study has included a range of glass colours, glazed surfaces, furnace fragments, slags and a flit-like materials. By using electron-probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy the results have indicated that three distinct compositional types of glass were in use there and that glass was probably being fused from primary raw materials with the evidence of fiitting. Since this is the first Islamic workshop of its kind ever found, the excavations at Raqqa have produced seminal evidence for ancient glass production, including the discovery of some almost complete examples of the three-chambered ‘southern’ type of furnace within a complete planned workshop.