Combined spectroscopic analysis of stratified glass eye beads from China dated to the Warring States Period

Abstract

We herein report the application of a combined spectroscopic approach for the analysis of eight stratified glass eye beads unearthed from China, which was dated back to the Warring States Period (475 bc to 221 bc). Portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) was used to determine that seven samples were typical natron type soda–lime–silicate glass beads with low contents of MgO and K2O except for one plant‐ash type soda–lime–silicate sample. In addition, combined with micro‐Raman spectroscopy, two different types of colorants were present in these beads, namely oxidized transition metals such as Co, Cu and Fe, and antimony‐based compound opacifiers/colorants. Furthermore, the distribution of their glassy and scattering phases could be determined by the optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, in which it exhibits that their morphologies were related to their Sb contents. According to the determined typology, chemical composition, micro‐crystal, and eyeball structural characteristics within the samples, the possible relations among them were speculated. It is the most interesting finding that seven natron type soda–lime glasses could be imported from the eastern Mediterranean area and one plant‐ash type glass could be imported from the eastern region of the Euphrates River such as Iran area. Finally, through comparison with similar contemporary beads excavated from the famous tomb of Marquis Yi of the Zeng State (~433 bc) in the Hubei Province, provenance studies of these beads were carried out, and their origins and relationships are discussed briefly. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A comparative mobile Raman study for the on field analysis of the Mosaico de los Amores of the Cástulo Archaeological Site (Linares, Spain)

“…Nevertheless, the identification of the main component was successful by a band at 671 cm −1 , attributed to hexagonal calcium antimonate (CaSb 2 O 6 ), the main opacifying agent of the glass. [24,40,41] This was verified by all the Raman instrumentation applied (except from the 532-nm laser of the EZRaman-I dual). Moreover, a band at~995 cm −1 observed with the 785-nm laser of the EZRaman-I dual and the Bravo instrument may be attributed to a ν 1 vibrational mode of a sulphate, probably an alkali sulphate.…”

Natron glass beads reveal proto-Silk Road between the Mediterranean and China in the 1st millennium BCE

“…Some of the beads have compositional data reported. The Altdorf beads 41 (EB-b) are made of natron glass, and the beads from Zenghouyi 57 (EB-a, -b, -c), Xujialing 56 (EB-c), Hougudui 15 (EB-c) and Shanghai Glass Museum 64 (EB-a, -b, -d) are likely natron-based as well. Also, Pichvnari beads that may be of EB-b and EB-d types from textual descriptions were reported as natron glass 38 .…”

“…Coloration of the base glasses attests to a shared technological background. Among these eye beads, glass of the same color contains the same colorants and opacifiers: white glass is rich in Sb and Ca, indicating the presence of calcium antimonate 35,36,41,42,56,57,64 ; blue or greenish-blue glass is colored by Cu 36,56,57,64 ; Sb and Pb are high in yellow glass that is colored by lead antimonate 36,41,42,57 ; deep blue glass is colored by Co and mostly also contains some Cu 35,36,41,42,56,57,64 , similar to the Wupu bead. www.nature.com/scientificreports/ Similarity in typology and composition strongly suggests a common origin.…”

Scientific analysis of some glazed pottery unearthed from Warring States Chu tombs in Jiangling, Hubei Province: Indication for the origin of the low‐fired glazed pottery in China

“…They were made of soda-lime glass, potash-lime glass, leadbarium glass, high-lead glass, lead-barium glazed pottery, and bone. The earliest soda-lime glass eye beads in China's inland areas dated to late Spring and Autumn period were unearthed from tomb No.4 at Jiuxian, Ye County [29] and Hougudui at Gushi County, [30] Henan Province. Afterwards, *more natron-soda-lime glass eye beads dated to early Warring States period were also unearthed fromt tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng (曾) at Suizhou, Hubei and Chu tomb at Xichuan, Henan.…”