The glass of the early Etruscans: archaeometric investigation of beads from Verucchio

The site of Verucchio (Rimini, Italy) is well known for the importance and richness of its necropolis, excavated since the end of the 19th century to nowadays. The approximately 600 discovered tombs contain a large variety of grave goods, such as weapons, bronze and pottery vessels, wooden furniture, textiles, amber and glass ornaments. The present work concerns the archaeometric investigation of glass beads dated from the late 8th to the middle 7thcentury. Based on their typology, colour and conservation state, a set of 23 beads was selected for analysis. Thirty micro-samples of different types of glass were taken from the beads’ bodies and applied decorations and properly prepared in cross sections. Textural, chemical and mineralogical characterizations were obtained by analyses using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), electron microprobe (EPMA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). All the beads are composed by LMG glasses with natron as flux, but the chemical and textural compositions of the samples are extremely variable. Pale yellow, green, blue and amber coloured glasses show quite homogenous microtextures. Opaque white glasses are obtained by the use of calcium antimonate, whereas yellow opaque glasses show lead antimonate inclusions and high content of lead (Pb) in the glass phase. New and unexpected results come from the analysis of dark blue and black glasses of eye beads, cube shaped beads, pendant and annular beads with wave decorations. These are natron glasses with high contents of iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al), in some cases associated to manganese (Mn) and/or titanium (Ti). The glasses show a very heterogeneous texture with numerous mineral inclusions, such as quartz, plagioclase, sodium- and calcium silicates. Moreover, the very peculiar presence of iron slag inclusions is observed. These characteristics seem to suggest a specific and possibly local production. The data of the analysed glasses from Verucchio will be discussed in detail and compared with the available literature data of coeval Italian glasses.