Small and overlooked: Roman glass counters from archaeological sites in Poland

Abstract

From the 1st century onwards, the flow of the imported glass objects into the territory of Barbaricum rises. A selection of 47 glass counters from archaeological sites in Poland dated to Roman Iron Age were gathered and analysed by LA-ICP-MS. The paper provides the data on the composition of different glass colours. These glasses were of the soda-lime-silica type, and were mostly made using Roman natron glass. Colourants and opacifiers were added to the glass – for most counter colours this was Sb-Mn recycled glass. For the white glass counters however, there is a chronological distinction in the type of base glass used. The first group, dated to phase B1-B2 (ca. the second half of the 1st century–160 CE), used Mn-decolourised glass, while the second group, dated from phase B2/C1-C1a (160/180–230 CE) and later, was probably produced with Sb-decolourised glass. One of the conclusions proposes further research into imported white glass found at Polish archaeological sites.