Classification and technology of Byzantine mosaic glass

Glass-making is a very sophisticated skill and the contribution given by the chemical analyses of glass materials is fundamental for the classification of glass types and for identifying compositional groups according to consistent characteristics that can be associated with chronological and geographical differentiations. The chemical composition of glasses is particularly complex: to a few basic constituents many components were added, either derived from impurities in the raw materials or intentionally incorporated into the glass mix. The field of study concerning the chemical composition and the technology of Byzantine mosaic production has not been dealt with in a systematic manner and certainly not exhaustively from the view point of classification according to the reconstruction of chronological and geographical development. Nevertheless, it is of great interest because it is probable that during the Byzantine period the production of mosaic glass was greater than for any other type of glass. We propose a methodology for classifying Byzantine mosaic glasses on the basis of simple statistical treatment of the chemical composition data. Compositional data relative to basic and accessory constituents together with colorants were analysed and elaborated through binary diagrams. Byzantine glasses are also compared to glasses of different epoch and provenance.