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From Glass to Glaze in al-Andalus: Local Invention and Technological Transfer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2021

Elena Salinas Open the ORCID record for Elena Salinas [Opens in a new window] ,
Jorge De Juan Open the ORCID record for Jorge De Juan [Opens in a new window] ,
Juan M. Piñero ,
M. Teresa Casal Open the ORCID record for M. Teresa Casal [Opens in a new window] ,
Nadine Schibille Open the ORCID record for Nadine Schibille [Opens in a new window]  and
Trinitat Pradell Open the ORCID record for Trinitat Pradell [Opens in a new window]
Elena Salinas
Affiliation:
Department de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain CEI⋅MAR / Departamento de Geografía, Historia y Humanidades, Universidad de Almería, Spain
Jorge De Juan
Affiliation:
Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux, Centre Ernest Babelon, UMR 5060, CNRS/Université d'Orléans, France UNIARQ, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Juan M. Piñero
Affiliation:
Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de Granada, Spain
M. Teresa Casal
Affiliation:
Departamento de Historia del Arte, Arqueología y Música, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain
Nadine Schibille
Affiliation:
Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux, Centre Ernest Babelon, UMR 5060, CNRS/Université d'Orléans, France
Trinitat Pradell
Affiliation:
Department de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
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Abstract

It has long been assumed that lead glazing technology preceded glassmaking in the Western world and that the technological transfer was from glazes to glass. Here, we present new evidence for the reverse, the indigenous innovation of glassmaking and its transfer to glazes in early Islamic al-Andalus (Spain). Compositional analyses show that Islamic lead glazes from Córdoba are intimately related to a distinct type of high-lead glass, suggesting a connection between the two technologies. The archaeological remains from a pottery workshop indicate that the glazing process initially involved the production of a lead glass and is not linked to earlier Roman or other contemporary glazing technologies. The data also demonstrate that the potters not only used the same materials and techniques but borrowed stylistic and decorative models from glassmaking.

Il a été proposé que la technologie de la glaçure plombifère ait précédé la production du verre en Europe occidentale et que cette technologie aurait ensuite été transférée au verre. Cet article présente de nouvelles données qui indiquent le contraire, c'est-à-dire une invention locale du verre et son transfert aux techniques de glaçure en al-Andalus (Espagne) au début de l’époque islamique. Des analyses de composition montrent que les glaçures plombifères de l’époque islamique de Cordoue sont liées à un type distinct de verre à haute teneur en plomb, ce qui met en évidence la relation étroite entre les deux technologies. Les vestiges archéologiques d'un atelier de potiers indiquent que le processus de production de la glaçure impliquait initialement la production de verre au plomb et n’était pas lié à la technologie romaine ou autres technologies contemporaines de la glaçure. Les données démontrent également que les potiers n'ont pas seulement utilisé les mêmes matériaux et techniques mais ont emprunté des motifs stylistiques et décoratifs à la verrerie. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Es wurde angenommen, dass die Technologie der Bleiglasur der Glasherstellung in Westeuropa vorausging und dass der Technologietransfer von Glasur zu Glas erfolgte. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchungen zeigen jedoch, dass das Gegenteil der Fall war. Im frühislamischen al-Andalus in Spanien wurde zunächst Glas hergestellt und diese Technologie wurde dann auf Glasuren übertragen. Chemische Analysen zeigen, dass die Bleiglasuren der frühislamischen Zeit aus Córdoba eng mit einem bestimmten Typus von Bleiglas verwandt sind, was für einen Zusammenhang der beiden Technologien spricht. Das archäologische Fundmaterial aus einer Töpferwerkstatt deutet darauf hin, dass der Glasurprozess ursprünglich die Herstellung eines Bleiglases beinhaltete und nicht mit früheren römischen oder anderen zeitgenössischen Glasurtechnologien zusammenhängt. Die Daten zeigen auch, dass die Töpfer nicht nur die gleichen Techniken und Rohstoffe benutzten, sondern auch stilistische und dekorative Elemente der Glasherstellung entliehen. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Keywords

glaze technologylead-glazed ceramicearly medieval technologypottery workshopglass crucibletechnologie de la glaçureglaçure céramique au plombtechnologie au haut Moyen Âgeatelier de potierscreuset de verrerieGlasurtechnologieBleiglasurenfrühmittelalterliche TechnologieTöpferwerkstattSchmelztiegel für Glasherstellung
Type
Article
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , February 2022 , pp. 22 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Association of Archaeologists

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