PIXE–PIGE analyses of Byzantine glass bracelets (10th–13th centuries AD) from Isaccea, Romania

This paper reports the particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) analyses of 78 glass bracelet fragments discovered in the Byzantine fortified settlement of Isaccea, Romania (10th–13th centuries AD). The chemical composition of the glass was used to identify the raw materials and manufacturing techniques. Most of the bracelets turned out to be soda-lime-silica glasses, but lead and soda-lime-lead glasses were also identified. The PIXE–PIGE data revealed the glass chromophores and provided clues about the pigments used to decorate the external surfaces of some bracelets—lead stannate and gold alloy. The analytical results showed that the bracelets were manufactured by recycling different types of coloured glass, probably in a local workshop.