Abstract
The study focuses on an assemblage of glass finds from the citadel of Kafir Kala, Uzbekistan, located along one of the major Eurasian branches of the “Silk Roads” with a consistent occupation between the 8th and 12th century CE. Glass fragments for this study were selected based on marked surface alterations they showed, with stratified deposits of different thickness and colours. Starting from a preliminary observation under Optical Microscope, fragments were clustered into four main groups based on the surface appearance of the alterations; Scanning Electron Microscopy investigations of the stratigraphy of the alteration products were then carried out, to evaluate micro-textural, morphological and compositional features. Data from the analyses allowed identifying preferential patterns of development of the various degradation morphologies, linkable to compositional alterations of the glass due to burial environment and the alkali leaching action of the water. Iridescence, opaque weathering (at times associated with black stains), and blackening were identified as recurring degradation morphologies; as all but one sample were made of plant ash-based glass, results show no specific correlation between glass composition and the occurrence of one or the other degradation pattern, often found together. Framed in a broad scenario, the paper aims to set the basis for the development of a study approach dedicated to the degradation morphologies affecting archaeological glasses, a topic still lacking systematisation and in-depth dedicated literature.
Highlights
The present paper focuses on degradation morphologies, identified in glass assemblage from Kafir Kala (Uzbekistan)
In the perspective of laying the foundations for a more systematic definition of the morphologies of degradation afflicting glass from archaeological excavations and to encourage the use of a well-defined and shared lexicon, the results obtained from the investigations carried out for this study will be presented divided into sub-paragraphs, each dedicated to a specific degradation morphology among those identified on the analysed assemblage
Except for sample KK-d12, which is completely altered, a preliminary evaluation of quantitative data obtained by EPMA on pristine glass (Table S2) allow characterising all the glass fragments from Kafir Kala as silica-soda-lime, made by using plant ash as fluxing agent
Summary
The present paper focuses on degradation morphologies, identified in glass assemblage from Kafir Kala (Uzbekistan). Glass objects from Kafir Kala are, affected by severe alteration products, diversified in terms of colours, thickness, and adherence to the surface. In addition to compromising the legibility of the fragments and, hindering their typological study, understanding alterations and the process beyond their occurrence is interesting from a more strictly scientific perspective. The use of a tailored vocabulary to describe the visible symptoms of deterioration in the conservation and scientific literature is inconsistent and confusing [10], resulting in the lack of a shared vocabulary among scholars and experts from different fields working on archaeological glass studies and conservation
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