The deterioration resulting from burial environment on archaeological glass: Comparative study

Abstract

The aim of this research is to study the deterioration resulting from burial context on archaeological glass. Investigations were performed on a series of Islamic glass fragments coming from different excavation sites (Deir El-Ghannam and Deir El-Banat) in Fayoum which was a major manufacturing place for archaeological glass during Islamic periods. The mineralogical and elemental compositions of glass fragments and soil were determined by Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) methods, while glass fragments’ surfaces were examined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and USB Digital Microscope. Deterioration aspects resulting from being buried varied among excavations in the Fayoum, according to chemical composition and soil moisture’s proportion which increase in Deir El-Ghannam and decrease in Deir El-Banat. The study shows that different kinds of salts “Chloride and Sulphate”, dirty layers, soil deposits affect the thickness and colour of glass, on top of glass corrosion layers. This study resulted in the conception of a methodology to treat the deterioration aspects.

Keywords

• deterioration
• burialenvironment
• excavation
• deir el-banat
• deir el-ghannam