Chemistry and Production Technology of Hallstatt Period Glass Beads from Bohemia

Abstract

The presented study evaluated a set of beads primarily originating from the Hallstatt period (800–400 BC) and uncovered in the region of Bohemia. Utilizing an SEM/EDS method, the chemical composition of the glass samples was determined and their homogeneity measured. Owing to the presence of opaque glass, Raman spectroscopy was applied, enabling the definition of the phases causing the opacity of the glass, as well as its coloring. This article discusses opacifying agents, including the possible ways in which they entered the artefacts. In addition, the techniques used to produce the glass beads are described, for both the single-colored beads, as well as the so-called eye beads that are present in a significant amount in the set. The majority of the beads examined were found to be made of the LMG glass type (low-magnesium soda-lime glass). An unexpected result was the identification of glass with a high content of K2O not corresponding to the mixed alkali type (LMHK), which is frequently discussed in the literature. The glass type in question most likely does not come from the traditional area of glass production: the eastern Mediterranean territory.