Description
Book SynopsisThis book provides a comprehensive research on Ancient Indian glass. The contributors include experienced archaeologists of South Asian glass and archaeological chemists with expertise in the chemical analysis of glass, besides, established ethnohistorians and ethnoarchaeologists. It is comprised of five sections, and each section discusses different aspects of glass study: the origin of glass and its evolution, its scientific study and its care, ancient glass in literature and glass ethnography, glass in South Asia and the diffusion of glass in different parts of the world. The topic covered by the different chapters ranges from the development of faience, to the techniques developed for the manufacture of glass beads, glass bangles or glass mirrors at different times in south Asia, a major glass producing region and the regional distribution of key artefacts both within India and outside the region, in Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia. Some chapters also include extended examples of the archaeometry of ancient glasses. It makes an important contribution to archaeological, anthropological and analytical aspects of glass in South Asia. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for students through academic and industry researchers working in archaeological sciences, ancient knowledge system, pyrotechnology, historical archaeology, social archaeology and student of anthropology and history with an interest in glass and the archaeology of South Asia.
Trade Review“South Asian glass research is effectively connected with the broader academic community focused on archaeological glass research, making it an excellent introductory resource for researchers, especially emerging scholars, interested in South Asian glass research. Moreover, it introduces fresh perspectives and insights, including South Asia’s unique glass recipes and products … . These contributions advance our understanding of ancient glass production, organization and dynamic exchange networks, thereby enriching the field of archaeological glass research with a wealth of new information.” (Kuan-Wen Wang, Antiquity, Vol. 97, 2023)
“The editors and authors are to be thanked and congratulated for the production of this well illustrated and comprehensive volume. Not only is there an abundance of new information, the literature covered is vast. It will be an essential reference on South Asian glass for years to come, invaluable to researchers in adjacent areas, and informative for anyone with an interest in archaeological glass. … This is a great book. I strongly recommend it.” (Ian C. Freestone, Asian Perspectives, The Journal of Archaeology and the Pacific, Vol. 62 (2), 2023)
“Ancient Glass of South Asia in an outstanding contribution to the study of glass in general and to the study of early glass beads in particular. … Congratulations to the organizers of the conference, the editors, and the individual authors for this excellent work that I’m sure will be enjoyed by many readers of Beads. The volume is up-to-date and should be a valuable resource for many years to come.” (James W. Lankton, Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers, Vol. 34, 2022)
Table of ContentsGlass Origin and Evolution
Chapter 1The Origin of Glass and the First Glass Industries- Thilo Rehren
Chapter 2Glass in the Middle-East and Western Europe at the end of the 1st millennium CE, Transition from Natron to Plant Ash Soda or Forest Glasses- Bernard Gratuze, Nadine Schibille and Inès Pacta
Chapter 3Glazed Steatite and Faience Technology at Harappa, Pakistan (>3700-1900 BCE): Technological and Experimental Studies of Production and Variation - Jonathan Mark Kenoyer
Chapter 4Traditional Bead and Bangle Crafts in India- Alok Kumar Kanungo
Scientific Study and Care of Glass
Chapter 5Elemental Compositions and Glass Recipes- Laure Dussubieux
Chapter 6Isotope Analysis and its Applications to the Study of Ancient Indian Glass- Laure Dussubieux, Christophe Cloquet and Thomas Oliver Pryce
Chapter 7The Conservation of Glass- Stephen P. KoobChapter 8Typology of Glass Beads: Techniques, Shapes, Colours, and Dimensions- Joanna Then-Obłuska
Ethnography and Literature
Chapter 9Glass in Indian Archaeology, Ancient Literature, Historical Records and Colonial Accounts- Alok Kumar Kanungo
Chapter 10Situating Harinagar Finds in Pre Iron Age Glass Crafts- Bhuvan Vikrama
Chapter 11History of Glass Ornaments in Tamil Nadu, South India: Cultural Perspectives- Veerasamy Selvakumar
Chapter 12Traditional Glass Mirror Making in Kapadvanj, Gujarat, India and an outline of the use- Jan Kock and Torben Sode
Glass Products in South Asia
Chapter 13Glass Beads of Eastern India (Early Historic Period)- Sharmi Chakraborty
Chapter 14A Review of Selected Glass Bead Types from the 2007-2009 Seasons of Excavation at Pattanam, India - Shinu Anna Abraham
Chapter 15Glass Bangles in South Asia: Production, Variability and Historicity- Mudit Trivedi
Chapter 16West Asian Glass in Early Medieval India as Seen from the Excavations of Sanjan - Kurush F Dalal and Rhea Mitra-Dalal
Chapter 17Interrelations in Glass and Glazing Technologies in Mughal Tilework- Maninder Singh Gill
The Diffusion of South Asian Glass
Chapter 18Indian Glass Beads in Western and North Europe in Early Middle Age- Bernard Gratuze, Constantin Pion and Torben Sode
Chapter 19Early Glass Trade along the Maritime Silk Route (500 BCE - 500 CE): An Archaeological Review- Sunil Gupta
Chapter 20Indian Glass in Southeast Asia- Laure Dussubieux
Chapter 21Indian Glass: Chronology and Distribution in Eastern Africa- Laure Dussubieux and Marilee Wood
Chapter 22Indian Glass Beads in Northeast Africa Between the 1st and 6th Centuries CE- Joanna Then-Obłuska
