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Characterization of the chemical composition of archaeological glass finds from South-Eastern Bulgaria using PIXE, PIGE and ICP-AES

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Abstract

Using PIXE (proton induced X-ray emission), PIGE (proton induced gamma emission) and ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy) the concentrations of the 24 elements Al, As, Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, Zn and Zr in 53 archaeological glass samples from South-Eastern Bulgaria, were determined. The glasses are dated from the 1st to 6th century AD. The analytical data showed the samples to be typical soda-lime-silica glass, with natron as flux. A rather broad range of aluminium, titanium and iron impurities was found, with a tendency for more impure glass in the later periods. The decolouring agents were antimony and manganese oxides, with Sb prevailing in earlier, and Mn in later glass.

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Acknowledgments

Deyan Lesigyarski thanks the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) for granting a fellowship in the framework of the project RER/8/015, which gave him the possibility to carry out the work at the accelerator facility of the “Jožef Stefan” Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sofia, 1 “James Bourchier” blvd, 1164, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Deyan Lesigyarski, Boika Zlateva-Rangelova & Ivelin Kuleff

  2. Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, 19 “Jadranska” str, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Žiga Šmit

  3. “Jožef Stefan” Institute, 39 “Jamova” str, P.O. Box 3000, 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Žiga Šmit

  4. Faculty of History, University of Sofia, 15 “Tsar Osvoboditel” blvd, 1504, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Kristina Koseva

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  1. Deyan Lesigyarski
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  2. Žiga Šmit
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  3. Boika Zlateva-Rangelova
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  4. Kristina Koseva
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  5. Ivelin Kuleff
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Correspondence to Deyan Lesigyarski.

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Lesigyarski, D., Šmit, Ž., Zlateva-Rangelova, B. et al. Characterization of the chemical composition of archaeological glass finds from South-Eastern Bulgaria using PIXE, PIGE and ICP-AES. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 295, 1605–1619 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2326-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-012-2326-5

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