Elemental composition of black glass bracelets of the northern coasts and the western part of the Persian Gulf by micro-PIXE technique; case study: the Shore Area of the Old Bandar Kong and the back shore of Shamd-e-Dideban

In this research work, 39 glass samples from glass artifacts obtained in the ancient sites of Bandar Kong and Shamd-e-Dideban on the coast of the northern and western part of the Persian Gulf were analyzed by micro-PIXE. Analyzed samples which include 30 black glass bracelets, four glass vessels with green, blue, brown and white colors and five samples from the waste and remaining raw materials of glass. Historical reports and archeological studies indicate that the date of these glasses back to the middle and late Islamic era. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the raw materials used in the manufacturing glass artifacts in the middle Islamic period on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The main question is whether there is any evidence of the import of glass vessels and jewelry objects like bracelets from the Mediterranean area or the Indian Ocean through the Persian Gulf. Also, the manufacturing processes, compositions, and raw materials used in manufacturing glass artifacts in Bandar Kong and Shamd-e Dideban have studied, and the differences and similarities of the glass compositions of these two areas have investigated. The results of this research work show that all the analyzed glasses from these two sites are classified in the group of silica-soda-lime glass type and based on the weight percentage of magnesium oxide and potassium oxide, which are more than 2.5wt% in the composition of all glasses, plant ash used as a flux in their manufacturing. Also, the results of elemental compositions show that the flux used in the vessels and bracelets is different. On the other hand, the elemental analysis shows that the silica raw materials used in the bracelets in the two sites are completely different and they were prepared from different resources.