LEAD-ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF SOME ASIAN GLASSES Abstract … · 2012. 2. 19. · LEAD-ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF SOM E ASIAN GLASSES Robert H. Bril. l (The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning,

LEAD-ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF SOME ASIAN GLASSES

Robert H . Brill (The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, USA, 14830)

Hiroshi Shirahata (Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran 050, JAPAN)

Abstract

Lead-isotope analyses of ancient artifacts yield valuable clues as to where the artifacts or materials might have been made. Recent analyses of about fifty ancient East and Southeast Asian glasses are reported here.

Introduction

Lead-isotope analysis has become firmly established as a method for classifying ancient artifacts by grouping'together those containing leads that might have had a-common geographical origin, and separating those containing leads from different mining regions. Carefully interpreted, the findings offer useful clues as to where the artifacts or materials themselves might have been made. Under the most favorable circumstances, it is often possible to identify the actual mining regions from which the leads came .. _. The technique is especially valuable for studying ancient Chinese glasses and other Chinese artifacts and materials [1-4]. At the TC-17 sessions of the 1984 International Symposium on Glass held in Beijing [1] several papers included lead-isotope analyses-as will some at this Congress. This paper reports analyses of about fifty glasses from various sources in East and Southeast Asia. They were carried out in collaboration with archaeologists, curators, and collectors in several countries.

Discussion

Because of space limitations, it is only possible to give here cursory descriptions of the glasses analyzed. These are contained in Table 1, which also serves as a concordance with sample numbers for those glasses which have been analyzed chemically. The results of some of those analyses are summarized in a companion paper [6]. The lead-isotope analyses were

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Brill, R. H.; Shirahata, H. "Lead-Isotope Analyses of Some Asian Glasses." Proceedings of XVII International Congress on Glass, v. 6, Glass Technology, Glass Archeometry. Beijing: Chinese Ceramic Society, 1995, pp. 491-496.

Rakow Research Library, The Corning Museum of Glass - http://www.cmog.org

carried out by one of the authors (HS) and his colleagues at The Muroran Institute of Technology using a Finnigan MAT 262 surface-ionization solidsource mass spectrometer. All data were normalized to NBS 981 standard lead. They are included in Table 1 and plotted in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 summarizes data for some 1500 ancient lead artifacts from many different times and places. It can be seen that many of the samples in this study bunch up near the mid-range of samples analyzed to date. It appears that the lead mines worked worldwide in ancient times most often were of these-i.sotopic types. This is not always a serious problem, however, because ~rchaeological reasoning usually reduces the complications of such overlapping. Moreover, the accuracy and precision of the data are far greater than suggested even by Fig. 2, where-for purposes of legibilitythe points are plotted much larger than they sHould be. In other words, the resolution of the data is much finer than it appears in these graphs. The following general observations can be made here; more thorough discussions will be published in the future.

Mr. Shi's Chinese leads fall in the relatively higher ranges where numerous Han and Pre-Han glasses have fallen in previous studies [1]. The significance of this is that his Chinese glasses of the 7th-10th cent. could well have been made with lead from the same sources as were worked in the earlier periods. Dr. Lee's samples from Korea fall in two ranges where early Chinese glasses were found [1]. (Although the ellipses in Fig. 1 marked "China" contained most Chinese glasses, there are, nevertheless, many examples that had mid-range leads.) The small sake cup, Pb-2390, matches a lead ore from the Kuratani mine in Kanazawa, some 400 mi. south of Nagasaki where the glass is thought to have been made, but there may be other mines in Japan that produced similar ores. Pb-2390 does not match the leads in the earlier glasses from the Shosoin [2].

The enamels in Mr. Leeper's very handsome 15th-cent. Chinese cloisonne offering stand [9] are not a very tight cluster, but probably did come from a single mining region. They are a fairly good match for some leads analyzed previously (a glazed tile from Tanzhe Monastery, a Tang glass bowl and two somewhat later glass figures [1]). We feel these data require further thought before final conclusions can be drawn. The lead in the solder is somewhat different than that in the six enamels.

The glasses from Vietnam, Kalimantan, and Sumatra yielded valuable information. The four glasses from Oc Eo which are of a recognizable highalumina chemical type known to have been made in India (and perhaps ~lsewhere in Asia, but not in the West [6]), form a tight isotopic cluster. This cluster also includes three beads from Thi Xi that were found in a bronze

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burial drum. Although they have a different chemical composition (one also associated only with India and Asia) all seven beads appear to contain leads from a single mining region. They extend over an isotopic range no greater than that covered by ores and artifacts from Laurion (Type L in Fig. 1). Adjacent to the cluster are leads from two large bangles from Kalimantan and from a curious 15th cent. bowl from Matangkuli [11]. The bowl has a touch of yellow opaque glass on its ponti! mark. The proximity of these points on the graph to a glass from Arikamedu strengthens our suspicion that all these glasses were made in India. Discussion of the remaining data must be reserved for the future publications.

References

[1] R. H. Brill and J. H. Martin, eds., Scientific Research in Early Chinese Glass, Corning: The Corning Museum of Glass, 1991. See especially Chapters 5,6, 14, 16, and Addendum to Chapter 5.

[2] R. H. Brill, Kazuo Yamasaki, I. Lynus Barnes, K. J. R. Rosman, and Migdalia Diaz, "Lead Isotopes in Some Japanese and Chinese Glasses," Ars Orientalis, v. 11, 1979, pp. 87-109.

[3] R. H. Brill, R. D. Vocke, Jr., Wang Shixiong, and Zhang Fukang, "A Note on Lead-Isotope Analyses of Faience Beads from China, "Jou mal of Glass Studies, v. 33, 1991, pp. 116-118.

[4] R. H. Brill, C. Felker-Dennis, H. Shirahata, and E. C. Joel, "Lead-Isotope Analyses of Some Chinese and Central Asian Pigments," Conservation of Ancient Sites on the Silk Road, Dunhuang, October, 1993. (In press.)

[5] Shi Meiguang, He Ouli, Wu Zhongdao, and Zhou Fuzheng, "Investigations of Some Ancient Chinese Lead Glasses," (1, Chap. 3].

[6] R. H. Brill, P. M. Fenn, and D. E. Lange, "Chemical Analyses of Some Asian Glasses," proceedings of this Congress.

[7] R. H. Brill, "Scientific Research in Early Asian Glass," proceedings of this Congress.

[8] In-Sook Lee, R. H. Brill, and P. M .Fenn, "Chemical Analyses of Some Ancient Glasses from Korea," Annales du 12' Congres de I'Associatiol1 Internationale pour I'Histoire du Verre, Vienna, August, 1991, The International Association for the History of Glass, 1993, pp. 163-176.

[9] John Twilley, "Technical Examinations of an Early 15th century Chinese Cloisonne Offering Stand," 8th World Ceramic Conference, Florence, 1994. (In press).

[10] S. P. Koob, "The Conservation of Archaeological Glass, with Special Reference to Chinese Glasses," proceedings of this Congress.

[11] E. E. McKinnon and R. H. Brill, "Chemical Analyses of Some Glasses from Sumatra," Archae0111etry of Glass, Archae0111etry Sessions of the XIVth International Congress on Glass, New Delhi, 1986, Calcutta: Indian Ceramic Society, 1987, Section 2, pp. 1-14.

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Table 1. LEAD ISOTOPE RATIOS OF SOME ASIAN GLASSES

Sample Description 208Pbf06Pb 207Pbf06Pb 204Pbf06Pb Notes & Refs.*

China [5, 9]

Pb-2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2339

Pb-2360

2361

2362

2363

2364

2365

2366

Bozhou, Anhui, 2.08980 0.84300 164AD; yellow bead Shaanxi, 7-9th C.; green 2.12649 0.86371 bottle Mixian, Henan, 999AD; 2.18520 0.88826 amber egg Mixian, Henan, 999AD; 2.13156 0.86115 Igreen bottle Mixian, Henan, 999AD; 2.18556 0.87616 Igreen glaze Dingxian, Hebei, 2.13708 0.87169 977 AD; brown glass Han Dyn.; large blue 2.1170i 0.86563 bead, black swirl Cloisonne, 15th C.; 2.09281 0.84832 !green enamel As above; It. blue 2.08445 0.84464 enamel As above; dk. blue 2.08811 0.84547 L'namei

As above; white opq. 2.08833 0.84705 L' I1,lmei

As "bove; yellow opq 2.08839 0.84617 clldmei

As above; red opq. 2.08779 0.84594 enamel As a bove; solder 2.11025 0.85413

0.053804 PbO:BaO; EH-96 [51

0.055479 sp. gr. - 5.17; T-98

0.057359 K,O:PbO; GS-19, NS48

0.055009 K,O:PbO; GS-23, NS49

0.056360 PbO-45.3%; NS-27

0.055950 PbO:K,O; GS-15, NS58

0.055402 PbO:BaO; 6510 [6J

0.054028 - 40% PbO [91

0.053967 -32% PbO

0.053876 -36% PbO

0.054086 -35% PbO

0.053978 -57% PbO with Sn

0.053972 -36% PbO

0.054594

Korea 16, 8J

Pb-2300

2301

2302

2303

2310

2311

2320

2304

2305

Japan 110J

Pb-2390

Tahpri, 1st c. BC; em. 2.19646 0.88775 gre~ bead (medium) Gunkokri, 1st c. BC-1st 2.09227 0.83981 c. AD; blue opq. bead large)

Unprov.; dk. blue seed 2.17689 0.92133 beads Daepyongri, 2/3rd c.; 2.11643 0.84086 It. blue opq. bead small)

Gunkokri, 1st c. BC-lst 2.09319 0.84288 c. AD; dk. green bead medium)

Iksan, 7th c. AD or 2.21668 0.88897 eadier; brownish cullet Hwangnam, 5th c. AD; 2.07330 0.83850 amber carved glass Kampi, ca. 100 Be?; It. 2.11357 0.85277 blue bead (large)

As abbve; colorless 2.11198 0.84707 bead (medium?)

Nagasaki,1659-1711(?) 2.10663 0.84816 mold-blown sake cup

0.057307 PbO:BaO; 6150

0.053311 PbO:BaO; 6153

0.059151 N.,O:CaO+PbO: BaO; 6179

0.053772 PbO:BaO; 6180

0.053576 PbO:SiO, (72.4 % PbO) 6152 \

0.056838 PbO;SiO, (72.2% PbO) 6162

0.054230 Major PbO; 6158

0.054645 Hi AI; 6191

0.053723 K,O:PbO; 6193

0.054186 K,OPbO; CMG-208

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_ ._--Vietnam 16J

Pb-3430 OcEo, poss. 1st. mille. 2.10697 0.86288 0.054918 Hi AI, 10Ca; BC; yellow opg. bead Similar to 6428

Iismall) 3431 As above; yellow opg. 2.10792 0.86277 0.054867 As above.

bead (small) 3432 As above; yellow opq. 2.10691 0.86262 0.054897 As above.

bead (small) 3433 As above; yellow opg. 2.10512 0.86225 0.054942 Hi AI, 10 Ca; 6445

bead (medium) Pb-3434 LacXuan, 16/17th C.; 2.10222 0.85779 0.054765 Na,O:CaO+Pb,Sb;

yellow opg. bead 6487 small)

3435 As above; It. grn. opq. 2.10082 0.85612 0.054678 Na,O:CaO+Pb,Sb,Ba; bead (small) 6488

3436 As above; yellow opq. 2.09964 0.85319 0.054392 K,O:PbO+As (7); bead (v. small) similar to 6493(?)

3438 As above; white opq. 2.21288 0.94875 0.061584 Mixed alk.,+Pb,As; bead (medium) 6454

3439 As above; white opg. 2.09748 0.85014 0.054307 Mixed alk.,+Pb,As; bead (small) 6485

Pb-3437 ThiXi, ca. 1st c.; yellow 2.10601 0.86291 0.054957 Found in bronze opg. bead (small) drum. K,O:SiO, trPb;

6477 3440 As above; dk. blue 2.10711 0.86227 0.054873 As above; 6475

bead (small) 3441 As-1lbove; red opq. 2.10687 0.86260 0.054897 As above; 6476

bead (small)

Kalimantan 16]

Pb-2500 Bukit Selindung, pre 2.10674 0.86110 0.054639 Hi AI, 10 Ca, tr. Pb; hist.; dk. blue banglc 6565

2501 As above; another 2.10989 0.86107 0.054579 As above; 6566 bangle

2502 As above; black bead 2.1093 0.85171 0.054060 Found in bronze large) drum; 6567

2503 As "bove; purplish 2.11106 0.85567 0.054502 As above, K,O:CaO, bead (medium) tr.Pb; 6568

2504 As a bove; red opq. 2.10027 0.84756 0.053804 As abovc. K,O:CaO, bead (medium) tr.Pb; 6569

India 16,7]

Pb-2290 Arikamedu, 1st c. AD; 2.11062 0.86321 0.054738 Hi AI, 10 Ca+Pb,Sn yellow opq. tube 6312

2291 As above; yellow opl]. 2.10597 0.85736 0.054828 K,O:SIO, (7)+Pb,Sn cullet 6313

Sumatra 12,6]

Pb-2076 Kota Cina, 12-14th c.; 2.09762 0.84470 0.053517 47.6% PbO; 2926 white opg. bangle

2077 As above; yellowish 2.09043 0.85227 0.054816 Mixed alk.; bead (large) 37.0% PbO); 2927

2078 As above; yellow 0pl]. 2.10669 0.84650 0.053977 53.2% PbO; 2928 bead (medium)

Pb-2079 Matangkuli, 15th 0. 7; 2.10983 0.86340 0.054840 From pontil of yellow opg. glass greenish bowl;

Hi AI, 10 Ca; 2963

* References are as in main headings, unless otherwise noted. Four-digit nos. are CMG analytical sample nos.

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2,3 I I I I T

SUMMARY OF OCHIN!l9_

2 2 , 2f-J!lP!lN

>- LEAD ISOTOPE DATA

'" a .I~.ci' 2, If-- r -

Cb fl(!) 's (\J 'E0 ES;V

2 'L ".D CL ro C~ 1. S f-

CHIN!I PBel)f. B7s

I I I I I1,8 ,55 ,7 ,75 ,8 .85 .9 ,95

207Pb ! 205Pb RATIO Points.:; This study Ch I no = Han & P,..e -Han 9 I asses

Japan::: Shosoin and othel"s Egypt ~ l1osf'/y 18Th Oyn.

L ::: Low'-ion 11 = l1esopotamlo 8 /T'on

E • Eng I and; some £uroope S :. SpaIn; Wales; So,..dinioFigure I,

2.15 I I I I I

2, 14 ASIAN GLASSES 0

>- 0 22, 13 (n ;;t 47)

a %rs"'2, 12 0 0

.D 0 (2 China; Po 2, II +0 9 Ko,..eo; ., 0

0 A g~)K

0 I Vietnam) X X(\J 2, I f- ., 0 X X" 00 +

.D 2.09 0 ~ #+CL '" 7 pointsill +

(Vletnom)~2, 08 0

2,07 P8e;;!. 87)

I I I I2,06 .83 .84 .85 .85 .87 .88

207Pb ! 205Pb RATIO 0 Chino (7 glosses; 4 sites) 0 KOMIa (8 glasses; 6 sites)

)K dopan (f cup) + China <6 enCJlle/s; Isolde,.)

X Vietnam (12 beads; 3 siTes) 0 Kal i.anton <S beads) .,A R,..ikamedu <2 9Ias~'es) SU/lfofToa (4 9/assfls; 2 sites)

Figure 2.

Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to the individuals and institutions who provided samples for this research. Among them are: Shi Meiguang, InSook Lee, the late Dorothy Blair, John Twilley, Arthur Leeper, Dezs() Benedek, E. Edwards McKinnon, and E. Marianne Stern. Sherri L. Seavey provided valuable help in preparing the typescript.

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LEAD-ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF SOME ASIAN GLASSES Abstract … · 2012. 2. 19. · LEAD-ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF SOM E ASIAN GLASSES Robert H. Bril. l (The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning,