Reperti vitrei

Glass fragments collected at Aïn Wassel represent approximately the 1% of the total discovered archaeological small finds. The studied assemblage consists of 132 fragments, belonging to at least 56 glass vessels and objects. Glass was found in eleven of the sixteen rooms of the excavated farm: 98 fragments were collected in rooms 15 (87 fragments) and 18 (11 fragments), respectively the silos room (probably already unused when the vessels or fragments were thrown away) and a small room occupied by a burial. The remnant 25% of the assemblage is scattered in other spaces of the farm or within surface layers. A small part of the amount is characterised by a clear, transparent, appreciable fabric, while the rest shows moderate or heavy presence of bubbles in opaque fabric, with slightly or intensely pitted surfaces. The free-blown technique was used to produce nearly all the glass vessels. Irregularly iridescence is common, whereas white milky or black/brown enamel-like weathering is sporadic. Seldom more pieces of the same form could be collected and joined together. The greatest part of the assemblage consists in fact of single fragments. Unfortunately the invasive Byzantine building and use-transformations of 7th century impede to verify the original relationship of the glasses to the function of the spaces. Chronologically the identified forms can all be dated between the late 4th and the 7th centuries AD. Most of them concern the classic stemmed goblet (form Isings 111) of Byzantine time (6th – 7th century). This kind of drinking vessel, used also as lamp, is essentially the most widespread form in the Mediterranean area during this period. The examples coming from Aïn Wassel are made, as usual, by the two-piece method, applying the stem separately. Further, smaller groups of beakers, dishes, lamps and flasks could be recorded. The most represented beaker is characterized by olive green colour, has knocked off, ground and not polished rim and concave or flat base, generally attributable to form Isings 106. Ornamental objects are infrequent in the assemblage. Apart from a completely crunched unidentified pale red glass mass, only two beads have been found during excavation. In the catalogue described glass sherds are the best preserved and diagnostic shards. Every fragment is discussed on the basis of its profile, decoration, colour, fabric and weathering, following the standard definitions. Diameters of rims are all reconstructed, heights refer generally to maximal preserved dimensions. Thicknesses are indicated as maxima and minima.