Ὑαλίτις γῆ : Egyptian glass production and trade between the seventh century BC and the ninth century AD
Résumé
Our understanding of Egyptian glass production and trade has greatly improved over the last thirty years, thanks to archaeological and archaeometrical studies. In this communication I address the issues of primary glass production in Egypt and trade between the seventh century BC and the ninth century AD. I draw on textual sources (literature and papyrology), study of artefacts, archaeological discoveries of primary glass production centres coming from surveys and excavations in the Mareotis area, Wadi Natrun, Sinai and Middle Egypt. Further the development of our understanding of glass compositions now allows defining the major steps of glass industry from a discrete and small scale production to mass production, supplying local consumption on one side and raw glass and luxury vessels for exports on the other. Five main phases can be distinguished with moments of technological changes and shifts in the modalities of trade and in the taste of the customers: at the end of the third c. BC, at the end of the first c. AD, in mid fourth century AD and in mid seventh century AD.
Domaines
Archéologie et PréhistoireOrigine | Accord explicite pour ce dépôt |
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