Isotope–Ratio Techniques in Glass Studies

Substantial databases of element analyses of glass exist but meaningful groupings with respect to the geographical origin of the mineral resources have only occasionally been possible. Complementary, trace elements in glass can also help to separate compositional groups and assign individual objects to them. Generally, provenancing of glass on the basis of elemental analysis is a difficult task. Therefore, in many recent studies, questions on glass production are addressed using radiogenic and stable isotopes. After a brief discussion of the principles and analytical methodology of isotope analysis, the isotope systems employed in glass studies are described; these include isotopes of oxygen, lead, strontium and neodymium. A short review of recent papers in which isotopic information is employed in the context of glass research is present. The perspectives of their use for provenance studies of vitreous materials is discussed at the end of the chapter.