The investigation and provenance of glass vessel fragments attributed to the Tomb of Amenhotep II, KV35, Valley of the Kings

Journal article

Four polychrome glass fragments, excavated from tomb KV35 in the Valley of the Kings, attributed to Amenhotep II, were analysed to further investigate the composition and provenance of early Late Bronze Age (LBA) glasses. An additional fragment, EA64163, cited by the British Museum as being stylistically analogous to the fragments from KV35, although with a findspot simply recorded as ‘Thebes’, was also analysed. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis was used to analyse multiple colours on the fragments to determine the major element composition, the colouring strategies and to establish provenance using trace element analysis. The resulting data obtained were compared with four polychrome fragments of standard LBA Egyptian composition, excavated from the palace of Amenhotep III at Malkata, previously analysed by scanning electron microscopy with wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-WDS). Analysis showed that the glasses excavated from KV35 are standard LBA glass of Egyptian composition and were most likely produced in Egypt during the 18th Dynasty. The fragment EA64163 is a low magnesia, low potash glass comparable with Iron Age composition and therefore should be reconsidered as a later glass. The analysis of glasses excavated from a reliable, early Egyptian context supports the proposition that glass technology for multiple colours was established in Egypt at least as early as 1400 BCE.

Authors: Kemp, V; Brownscombe, W; Shortland, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Archaeometry
• Volume: 64
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 147-160
• Publication date: 2021-06-16
• Acceptance date: 2021-05-04
• DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12687
• EISSN: 1475-4754
• ISSN: 0003-813X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Late Bronze Age; Amenhotep II; provenance; Amenhotep III; KV35; LA-ICP-MS; Malkata; tomb; Iron Age; glass; ancient Egypt; vessel