Chemical composition of glass and its raw materials: chronological and geographical development in the first millenium A.D.

The history of glass has a documented technological development since at least 3,500 years based on texts and archaeological remains certainly linked to progress in furnace construction which could reach higher and higher temperatures and also to the availability of certain raw materials. During the centuries and in different geographical areas, the basic composition of the glass used for artistic and decorative purposes underwent important changes due to the availability of raw materials and the technology of glass production. 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.