Low-temperature vitreous materials fluxed with lead (and barium) appeared in the early War-ring States period (c.fifth century BCE) in ancient China. A range of lead vitreous products fluxed with the same agent, including faience/glass... more
Low-temperature vitreous materials fluxed with lead (and barium) appeared in the early War-ring States period (c.fifth century BCE) in ancient China. A range of lead vitreous products fluxed with the same agent, including faience/glass beads, glazed pottery and Chinese blue (purple) pigment, were developed subsequently. This study carries out scientific analysis of six vitreous beads unearthed from the Zhaitouhe cemetery site in northern Shaanxi dating to the early and middle Warring States period to investigate their chemical composition, micro-structure and coloration. The lead (and barium) vitreous beads identified here are some of the earliest lead vitreous materials discovered in China so far, and therefore important for the study of the development of lead vitreous technologies in ancient China. This paper also points out that it is meaningful to evaluate the lead glass, glazed pottery and barium copper silicate pigments as a whole technological assemblage given their close relationships.
Research Interests:
This paper presents compositional results for six faience beads from Adunqiaolu, an Early Bronze Age site in western Xinjiang, China. It is shown that all analysed samples were made of mixed-alkali flux with sodium oxide 8-10% and... more
This paper presents compositional results for six faience beads from Adunqiaolu, an Early Bronze Age site in western Xinjiang, China. It is shown that all analysed samples were made of mixed-alkali flux with sodium oxide 8-10% and potassium oxide 5-9%. The microstructure of samples indicates that cementation glazing was used. The analytical results, together with the typology of the faience beads were then compared with data of Bronze Age faience beads found in Europe and East Asia. There are clear similarities in both typological and technological features. As the earliest faience objects discovered in China so far, the Adunqiaolu beads set an essential starting point for the further discussion on the early exchange network evidenced by faience products and long distance transmission of technologies and knowledge. This observation is of significance for deepening our understanding of prehistoric exchange between West and East across the Eurasian continent by providing another eleme...
Research Interests:
Low-temperature vitreous materials fluxed with lead (and barium) appeared in the early War-ring States period (c.fifth century BCE) in ancient China. A range of lead vitreous products fluxed with the same agent, including faience/glass... more
Low-temperature vitreous materials fluxed with lead (and barium) appeared in the early War-ring States period (c.fifth century BCE) in ancient China. A range of lead vitreous products fluxed with the same agent, including faience/glass beads, glazed pottery and Chinese blue (purple) pigment, were developed subsequently. This study carries out scientific analysis of six vitreous beads unearthed from the Zhaitouhe cemetery site in northern Shaanxi dating to the early and middle Warring States period to investigate their chemical composition, micro-structure and coloration. The lead (and barium) vitreous beads identified here are some of the earliest lead vitreous materials discovered in China so far, and therefore important for the study of the development of lead vitreous technologies in ancient China. This paper also points out that it is meaningful to evaluate the lead glass, glazed pottery and barium copper silicate pigments as a whole technological assemblage given their close relationships.
Research Interests:
This paper presents compositional results for six faience beads from Adunqiaolu, an Early Bronze Age site in western Xinjiang, China. It is shown that all analysed samples were made of mixed-alkali flux with sodium oxide 8-10% and... more
This paper presents compositional results for six faience beads from Adunqiaolu, an Early Bronze Age site in western Xinjiang, China. It is shown that all analysed samples were made of mixed-alkali flux with sodium oxide 8-10% and potassium oxide 5-9%. The microstructure of samples indicates that cementation glazing was used. The analytical results, together with the typology of the faience beads were then compared with data of Bronze Age faience beads found in Europe and East Asia. There are clear similarities in both typological and technological features. As the earliest faience objects discovered in China so far, the Adunqiaolu beads set an essential starting point for the further discussion on the early exchange network evidenced by faience products and long distance transmission of technologies and knowledge. This observation is of significance for deepening our understanding of prehistoric exchange between West and East across the Eurasian continent by providing another element in addition to metallurgy, cereal crops and herding animals.