DOI Heft:
Egypt
DOI Artikel:Kucharczyk, Renata: Late roman/early byzantine glass from the basilica in Marea
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42091#0078
MAREA
EGYPT
Solid-stemmed lamps with rounded or
elongated hollows at the bottom of the
stems are amply represented. The bowls
are deep with thin concave walls and fire-
rounded and slightly thickened rims
[Fig. 3:2-4]- This type, previously attested
at the Marea site,6 7 is one of the easiest
shapes to recognize. Tooling marks on the
stems, features not noted elsewhere, could
be considered perhaps a sign of regional
differences. In many cases, stems are
unevenly flattened. Sometimes they have
traces of glass from the pontil adhering to
the bottom. In most of the cases, the color
is discernible. The surface is heavily
weathered resulting in a distinctive black,
flaky layer, occasionally coated by peacock
iridescence. In some cases, it is not possible
to determine the original thickness of
either lamp stems or bowls. The lamps
have a marked similarity in many ways.
They share an uniformity of workmanship,
the same characteristics of measurement
and quality of glass. These mass-produced
vessels are carelessly worked. All of these
features, but especially a severe malformed
hollow-lamp stem, argue strongly in favor
of local manufacture.
STEMMED GOBLETS/WINEGLASSES
One of the main products of the Byzantine
glass industry — the stemmed goblet or
wineglass - is represented by five
examples. Three slender solidstemmed
goblets had concave circular bases with
reworked edges and marked pontil mark
[Fig. 3:5]. One base has a hooked-in edge
[Fig. 3:6], A thick waist, already attested
at the Marea bath, may have belonged to
the goblet [Fig. 3:8]. The best parallels are
offered by examples from Esna8 and
Jerash.9 A fragment with tubular flange
may have also belonged to a wineglass
[Fig. 3:9].10
OTHER OPEN FORMS
Only one fragment of a ring base
belonging to a plate or shallow bowl was
recorded in this year’s assemblage. A piece
of sidewall without folded hollow rim
came from the same type ol open vessel
{Fig. 3:10].
6 R. Kucharczyk, "The glass finds from the Basilica in Marea, 2003", PAAl XV, Reports 2003 (2004), 6o-66, Fig. 1:1-4,
and also PAAl XVI. Reports 2004 (2005), 55-57, Fig. 1:5-7.
7 Id., PAAl XVI, loc. cit., and forthcoming.
8 H. Jacquet-Gordon, Les ermitages chretiens du desert d' Esna, III. Ceramiques et objects (IFAO: Le Caire 1972), 96,
PI. CCXXXIII: 12-13.
9 C. Meyer, "Glass from the North Theater Byzantine Church, and Soundings at Jerash, Jordan, 1982-1983", BASOR,
Suppl. 25 (1987), 200-201, Fig. 9: M dated to the late Byzantine/Umayyad period.
10 For a comparable piece dated to the 7th century, see J. Hayes, "Late Roman and Byzantine glass", in: Excavations at
Saraghane in Istanbul, vol. 2. The Pottery (Princeton 1992), 400, 402, Fig. 150:24.
74
EGYPT
Solid-stemmed lamps with rounded or
elongated hollows at the bottom of the
stems are amply represented. The bowls
are deep with thin concave walls and fire-
rounded and slightly thickened rims
[Fig. 3:2-4]- This type, previously attested
at the Marea site,6 7 is one of the easiest
shapes to recognize. Tooling marks on the
stems, features not noted elsewhere, could
be considered perhaps a sign of regional
differences. In many cases, stems are
unevenly flattened. Sometimes they have
traces of glass from the pontil adhering to
the bottom. In most of the cases, the color
is discernible. The surface is heavily
weathered resulting in a distinctive black,
flaky layer, occasionally coated by peacock
iridescence. In some cases, it is not possible
to determine the original thickness of
either lamp stems or bowls. The lamps
have a marked similarity in many ways.
They share an uniformity of workmanship,
the same characteristics of measurement
and quality of glass. These mass-produced
vessels are carelessly worked. All of these
features, but especially a severe malformed
hollow-lamp stem, argue strongly in favor
of local manufacture.
STEMMED GOBLETS/WINEGLASSES
One of the main products of the Byzantine
glass industry — the stemmed goblet or
wineglass - is represented by five
examples. Three slender solidstemmed
goblets had concave circular bases with
reworked edges and marked pontil mark
[Fig. 3:5]. One base has a hooked-in edge
[Fig. 3:6], A thick waist, already attested
at the Marea bath, may have belonged to
the goblet [Fig. 3:8]. The best parallels are
offered by examples from Esna8 and
Jerash.9 A fragment with tubular flange
may have also belonged to a wineglass
[Fig. 3:9].10
OTHER OPEN FORMS
Only one fragment of a ring base
belonging to a plate or shallow bowl was
recorded in this year’s assemblage. A piece
of sidewall without folded hollow rim
came from the same type ol open vessel
{Fig. 3:10].
6 R. Kucharczyk, "The glass finds from the Basilica in Marea, 2003", PAAl XV, Reports 2003 (2004), 6o-66, Fig. 1:1-4,
and also PAAl XVI. Reports 2004 (2005), 55-57, Fig. 1:5-7.
7 Id., PAAl XVI, loc. cit., and forthcoming.
8 H. Jacquet-Gordon, Les ermitages chretiens du desert d' Esna, III. Ceramiques et objects (IFAO: Le Caire 1972), 96,
PI. CCXXXIII: 12-13.
9 C. Meyer, "Glass from the North Theater Byzantine Church, and Soundings at Jerash, Jordan, 1982-1983", BASOR,
Suppl. 25 (1987), 200-201, Fig. 9: M dated to the late Byzantine/Umayyad period.
10 For a comparable piece dated to the 7th century, see J. Hayes, "Late Roman and Byzantine glass", in: Excavations at
Saraghane in Istanbul, vol. 2. The Pottery (Princeton 1992), 400, 402, Fig. 150:24.
74