This article delves into the chemical compositions of Iron Age glass artefacts found in Europe over the last two decades. It highlights the significance of glass composition as a chronological proxy, emphasising the need for large datasets and consideration within broader chronological and geographical contexts.
The review discusses the complexities of interpreting glass composition alone for chronological purposes, suggesting the integration of humanities/archaeology-based approaches to differentiate between different glassworking sites based on artefact morphology or distribution.
The article also addresses the challenges posed by the separation of glass production and circulation systems in archaeological evidence, using examples like glass heirlooms in the northwest Iberian Peninsula to illustrate this issue. It advocates for further exploration of collective memory and inheritance questions through the study of glass composition.
Moreover, the review outlines the contributions of various glassmaking components to the final chemical composition of archaeological glass, emphasising the roles of silica sources, fluxing agents, network stabilisers, and decolonisers. It also provides an overview of the key differences between Bronze Age and Iron Age glassmaking traditions to contextualise the discussion on the pluricentric organisation of glassmaking in the Early Iron Age.
