Chemical Analyses of Potash–Lime Silicate Glass Artifacts from the Warring States Period in China

Abstract

Potash–lime silicate (K2O–CaO–SiO2) glass dated to the Warring States Periods is one of the earliest glass types that have been found in China, but scientific research about this type of glass is scarce at home and abroad. In the present study, a total of 23 potash–lime silicate glass samples of the Warring States Period, excavated from different areas of China, were analyzed noninvasively using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF). The chemical composition of these K2O–CaO–SiO2 glasses was analyzed and compared with that of the potash silicate (K2O-SiO2) glasses of the Han Dynasties. The possible raw materials used to make the ancient K2O–CaO–SiO2 glasses were discussed. It appears that the ancient K2O–CaO–SiO2 glasses were produced in China and the potash glasses were of versatile origins. This research provides useful clues to trace the technical development of ancient Chinese glass.