Work

The use of Cobalt in 18th Dynasty Blue Glass from Amarna: the results from an on-site analysis using portable XRF technology

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Cobalt was commonly used as a colourant in the Egyptian glass industries of the 18th dynasty, dark blue glass being a regular find at palatial and settlement sites, including Amarna and Malqata. The main source of cobalt ore used during this period has been identified in the Egyptian western desert, around the oases of Kharga and Dakhla. In order to better understand the chaîne opératoire of Late Bronze Age glass production and -working, in particular with regard to cobalt ore, at Amarna, chemical analysis by portable X-Ray fluorescence was carried out in the field. This was done on contextualised archaeological material excavated at the site of Amarna, which cannot be exported from Egypt for analysis. The results of this study demonstrate how cobalt ore was used in the various known workshop sites at Amarna, resulting in a deeper understanding of raw materials use and exchange across this settlement.

Source: STAR Science & Technology of Archaeological Research

DOI: 10.1080/20548923.2019.1649083

Authors: Anna K. Hodgkinson, Stefan Röhrs, Katharina Müller, Ina Reiche

Institutions: Freie Universität Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Chimie ParisTech - PSL, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $969

Funder: Freie Universität Berlin