Composition Analysis and Subclass Division of Ancient Glass Artifacts Based on R-Q Type Clustering

Abstract

The Silk Road served as a conduit for cultural exchange between ancient East and West, with glass being a valuable material evidence of early trade interactions. Archaeologists have classified ancient glassware primarily into two categories: high-potassium glass and lead-barium glass. This study focuses on the sub-classification of high-potassium glass. Firstly, the high-potassium glass is divided into two major categories, weathered and unweathered, based on their weathering properties. Subsequently, the R-Q clustering algorithm is employed to further subdivide the unweathered high-potassium glasswhile the same approach is applied to the weathered high-potassium glass. The results are validated through rational analysis and can be applied to other types of ancient glassware.