An Analytical Study of a Glass Vessel Preserving Mortal Remains from the Roman Period, Tell Ayun Musa, South Sinai, Egypt

During archaeological excavations supervised by the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, large collections of colored glass artifacts were found, along with large blocks of glass fragments, fuel ash slag, and remains of glass-processing furnaces and pottery kilns at the archaeological site of Tell Ayun Musa, South Sinai, dating back to the Roman period. The study aims to understand the manufacturing technique and chemical composition of the glass vessel remains and provide some insights into their possible origin. The processes of corrosion and decomposition were also evaluated to determine the effect of the ritual preservation of the skeletal remains on the structure of the glass. The materials used in the glass manufacturing process were identified using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). It is noted that mold blowing was the main technique used in shaping the glass. This is the method followed by the Romans in glassmaking and they transferred it to Egypt. It has also been proven that the burning method was also used, and it did not exist before that in Egypt. Some places where the body was burned were found. The analytical results indicate that the glass is made of soda and calcium silicate with the presence of aluminum, with the use of some transition metal oxides and colored oxides such as iron, copper and chromium to obtain a degree of blue-green color. The structural evidence collected also indicates that the glass vessels were produced locally and that the glass suffers from the phenomenon of glass rust, as the change in the chemical composition is clearly evident. This change, as well as the distinctive color of the glass, has been explained by the phenomenon of ionic exchange between the components of the glass and the surrounding atmosphere, where hydrogen glass is formed and then combines with pollution gases to form a layer of damage that covers some parts of the glass and causes the glass to darken until it turns into damage products.