Abstract
The Hetian Bizili site in Lop County, located on the southern route of the Silk Road in Xinjiang, China, was a trade and cultural hub between the East and the West in ancient times. In 2016, a large number of glass beads were unearthed from the 40 tombs excavated on this site. In this study we determined the chemical compositions and manufacturing technology of bodies and decorations of twelve glass beads from the M5 tomb of Bizili by using LA-ICP-AES, EDXRF, Raman Spectrometry, and SR-μCT. The chemical compositions of the beads were all Na2O–CaO–SiO2, with plant ash mainly used as a flux. Lead antimonate and lead stannate were used as the opacifying agents. We detected elevated levels of boron and high levels of phosphorus in some beads: this is discussed in the context of the type of flux used and the possible use of a P-rich opacifier. Some of the beads with high contents of aluminum may potentially come from Pakistan. In terms of manufacturing technology, the craftsmen made ‘eye’ beads in different ways and also trail decorated beads.
Highlights
The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, located in the northwest of China (Fig. 1), has been a vital area of cultural diversity and complexity [1]
Many glass beads spread to China carried by ancient nomadic people and all these sites are located in the north of Xinjiang far away from the Silk Road, indicating that cultural exchanges between the East and the West had started before the establishment of the Silk Road- or they may represent evidence for an early Silk Road
A large number of glass beads has been found in southern Xinjiang at Shanpula [7], Niya [8, 9], Jierzankale [10] and Zhagunluke [11], with more than a thousand glass beads deriving from the former two sites which is more than is currently known from the area to the south of the Silk Road
Summary
The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, located in the northwest of China (Fig. 1), has been a vital area of cultural diversity and complexity [1]. The earliest glass beads in China were found in Baicheng County and Tacheng County, Xinjiang, dating back to 1100–500 BC. They are all soda-lime glasses, believed to originate from the West. Many glass beads spread to China carried by ancient nomadic people and all these sites are located in the north of Xinjiang far away from the Silk Road, indicating that cultural exchanges between the East and the West had started before the establishment of the Silk Road- or they may represent evidence for an early Silk Road. A large number of glass beads has been found in southern Xinjiang at Shanpula [7], Niya [8, 9], Jierzankale [10] and Zhagunluke [11], with more than a thousand glass beads deriving from the former two sites which is more than is currently known from the area to the south of the Silk Road
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