Investigation of technological origin and production technique of copper-red opaque glass in Ancient Orient by spectroscopic analysis

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12566
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03060:Cultural assets study-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Denki University (2020); Tokyo University of Science (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Abe Yoshinari 東京電機大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (90635864)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 古代ガラス / 銅赤 / 製法解明 / 起源推定 / オンサイト分析 / 蛍光X線分析 / シルクロード / 古代オリエント

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study investigated “copper-red” technique, a historical red-coloring technique for glass and ceramic, to scientifically reveal the technological and material transition by means of nondestructive spectroscopic analyses centered on X-ray fluorescence analysis. The copper-red technique could be simultaneously developed in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia during the middle of the second millennium BC. A new copper-red technique requiring a strong reduced firing was invented since the beginning of the first millennium AD under the influence of active production and distribution of Roman glass in the Mediterranean region. After the first millennium AD, the copper-red technique was widespread to outside West Asia and the Mediterranean region, such as South and Southeast Asia and applied for a lot of small glass beads; some of them were imported to ancient Japan and Korea via the inland and maritime trades.

Free Research Field

文化財科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

装置メーカと共同で開発した高性能な可搬型装置や，放射光施設における高度なX線分析など，最先端の科学的な分析・計測技術を古代のガラス製品へと非破壊的に応用することで，その来歴や古代における技術の変遷を明らかにすることができた。対象とした古代ガラスの中には，沖ノ島出土のガラス製品など，我が国の国宝に指定されているきわめて希少な文化財も含まれる。本研究は一般市民にとって科学的な分析・計測の重要性を等身大で理解可能な好例となるだろう。また，本研究で開発・利用された分析手法は，古代ガラスに限らずあらゆる文化財の非破壊分析調査へと応用可能であり，文理融合の促進に大きく貢献できたと考えている。