Decoding the network of glass production: a meta-analysis of Bronze Age glass

Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Mycenaean glass are all examples of the High Magnesium Glass composition and the ability to distinguish between these three groups has, so far, been limited. The principle methods used for differentiating between production zones for Late Bronze Age glass has been through trace element or isotopic analysis. Major/minor elemental analysis, while more readily available, is restricted in its ability to separate between different production zones. This dissertation will examine the use of meta-analysis of major/minor elemental data of Bronze Age plant ash glass as well as the application of ratios and Principal Components Analysis and how this might be able to separate between production zones. This will be considered in relation to colour, which is a key factor of ancient glass. This dissertation will find potential evidence for the independent production of glass for shipping to Mycenaean Greece, identified through the use of ratios. It will also show that Principal Components Analysis may be useful in identifying relationships between elements and key components, especially when used in concurrence with bi-plots. This shall hopefully lay the groundwork for future use of PCA and ratios in the provenance of early glass