The Hamwic Glass

Description

With contributions by W. Fletcher, J. Henderson, D. C. W. Sanderson, S. E. Warren and D. Whithorn. The assemblage of Middle-Saxon glass fragments from the settlement at Saxon Hamwic ranks as one of the most important of its period anywhere in Europe. It derives from a time in early Christian England when knowledge of glass production was slowly developing, but when pagan graves - the traditional source of glass material for the archaeologist - are no longer available. The assemblage is remarkable not only for the range of colours and types of vessel represented, but also for the degree of expertise and technological achievement now evident in post-Roman material. The glass is dominated by vessels of the palm cup/funnel beaker variety and exhibits a range of decorative elements, including applied coloured reticella rods. Traditionally, archaeological glass has been studied according to typological or art-historical criteria, with more recent trends towards analytical investigation. This volume breaks new ground by taking a total approach to the material by using typological and analytical data in a complementary way. The effect is not only to shed light on glass styles of the era, but also to view the nature and function ol the assemblage as a whole and to consider the feasibility of an emerging glass industry in Middle-Saxon times. List of plates vii List of figures viii List of tables ix Summaries in English, French and German x 1. The background 1 2. The material 4 2.1 Palm cup/funnel beaker vessel series 4 2.2 Other vessel types 14 2.3 Decorated, non-diagnostic fragments 19 2.4 Non-diagnostic fragments 20 2.5 Window glass 20 2.6 Beads 26 2.7 Wasters 26 2.8 Non-durable fragments 26 3. Vessel quantification analysis 30 4. Colour 34 4.1 Red glass 35 4.2 Streaked glass 35 4.3 Trails 37 4.4 Light blue/green glasses 38 5. Compositional Analysis 42 5.1 X-ray fluorescence 42 5.2 Neutron activation analysis 43 5.3 Inductively coupled plasma spectrometry 44 5.3.1 Palm cup/funnel beaker vessel series 45 5.3.2 Other vessel types 49 5.3.3 Decorated, non-diagnostic vessel body fragments 50 5.3.4 Non-diagnostic vessel body fragments 51 5.3.5 Window fragments 51 5.4 Overview 51 6. Discussion 56 6.1 Contextual significance 58 6.2 Conclusions 60 Bibliography 62 Appendix One. Colour measurement of the Hamwic glass 66 Appendix Two. Scientific analysis of the Hamwic glass 71 Appendix Three. Electron microprobe analysis of the Hamwic glass 97 Catalogue of Hamwic glass items 98 Index by Peter Rea 137