Shedding New Light on Ancient Glass Beads by Synchrotron, SEM-EDS, and Raman Spectroscopy Techniques

Abstract

The oxidation states of colouring elements and the pigments in ancient rare glasses have been investigated in this study. Synchrotron X-ray, SEM-EDS, and Raman techniques revealed that Cu2+plays a major role in blue and green glasses. The lead stannate pigment gives glasses a yellow colour. Copper and lead stannate can cause the green colour in glasses, and iron gives rise to the colour of black glasses. Microcomputed tomography reveals the distribution of the heavy elements, pigments, and inclusions in the glasses. The Dvaravati glasses in Southeast Asia may have been imported or technologically transferred to domestic manufacturers during trading on the Silk Road that connected the East and the West. © 2019, The Author(s).