When metal meets beads : technological study of early medieval metal foil beads from Albania

This study focuses on metal foil beads from Bukël in Albania presenting results from technological investigations by chemical analysis and optical microscopy as well as archaeological information about the site. The necklace was excavated from a female burial dating to the 8th/9th centuries. Chemical analyses were performed on the different glass and metal layers of the beads. The metal was confirmed to be silver. The two glass layers making up the core and the outer shell were made from similar glass compositions. The data compare well with other published analyses from similar beads from different sites in Europe, all characterized by the use of plant ash instead of mineral soda. This places the probable production area of the glass somewhere in the Near or Middle East. Details revealed by microscopical studies gave clues concerning the manufacture of the bead structure. It can be deduced that while the inner layer was produced by a drawn tube, the very thin outer shell involves the application of a molten glass.Greiff Susanne, Nallbani Etleva. When metal meets beads : technological study of early medieval metal foil beads from Albania. In: Mélanges de l'École française de Rome. Moyen-Age, tome 120, n°2. 2008. Les destinées de l’Illyricum méridional pendant le haut Moyen Âge. pp. 355-375