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Description
Arguably, glass is an artificial material that needed the greatest amount of technical know-how to produce in comparison to any other inorganic ancient material in antiquity. While seemingly easily achievable, a very sophisticated control of pyrotechnology was demanded, in order to produce a material with unique properties such as opacity, translucency and transparency, while it could be coloured in bright hues and able to reflect/refract the light. The latter probably accounts for the fact that at the very beginning of its invention glass was attributed a ritual significance, but through time and innovation,it gradually developed a more functional character.
In this lecture, we will examine a range of factors that led glass to its first appearancefollowed by the various ways in which it was used in society, ranging from important highvalue roles to begin with to every-day functions following the invention of glassblowing towards the end of 1stmillennium BC. Importantly, we will investigate the range of raw materials used in this period and their natural sources throughout the Mediterranean region. Finally,we will explore how glass was made, how it can be characterised, what meaning glass had in ancient societies and the extent to which it was traded and exchanged. The key role of analytical techniques in addressing the aforementioned topics will be highlighted.
Videoconference via https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85994389705
