Archaeological glasses with prolonged exposure to biogeochemical processes in the environment can be used to understand glass alteration, which is important for safe disposal of vitrified nuclear waste. Samples of ‘dark glass’ and ‘clear glass’ with different chemistries, formed from melting amphibolitic and granitoid rocks, were obtained from Broborg, a Swedish Iron Age hillfort. Glasses were excavated from the top of the hillfort wall, where they had been exposed to topsoil, weather, and microbial activity, and from the wall interior. A detailed microscopic, spectroscopic and diffraction study of surficial textures and chemistries was conducted on these glasses. Clear glass chemistry was uniform, with a smooth surface showing limited chemical alteration (
Published: February 10, 2023
Citation
Matthews B.E., J.J. Neeway, L. Nava-Farias, J. Marcial, B.W. Arey, J.A. Soltis, and L. Kovarik, et al. 2023.Micro- and Nanoscale Surface Analysis of Late Iron Age Glass from Broborg, a Vitrified Swedish Hillfort.Microscopy and Microanalysis 29, no. 1:50–68.PNNL-SA-163973.doi:10.1093/micmic/ozac032