Is this Roman glass?

[jtalbot0001]

Hi All,

Today digging in a hole I found two fragments of glass that belong together, and hopefully you can see there is like a tear drop pattern on it. How can you tell if glass is Roman? Or any age! There is a rim also I found on the surface of another field a while back, both are thin, although the rim is thin at the top but thickens lower down. Is there any website to help identify glass at all, or any expert anybody knows? Any feeback will be appreciated.

Cheers,
Jon

[handyman [Alan}]

it certainly looks very similar to glass found on roman sites, up here.

best get it checked out with the FLO.

[Chef Geoff]

Well going by the typical turquoise colour and fineness, I would say yes it's Roman, but I think most Roman glass is listed as "probably" and based on Roman finds coming from the same site.
Definitely one for the FLO.

[Meatslicer]

Any chance of a photo with something to give an idea of scale?

The bit with a rim looks interesting. Looks like a roll-top vessel.

Roman glass was recycled many times so can look a bit green or dark, and was usually made into thin vessels. Roman window glass was made by glass blowing a big bit, the cutting it open and laying flat in a sand box so can look matt on one side and shiny on the other.

There are sites which give examples of standard pottery and glass vessel shapes but they tend to be a bit speciallist.

Here is a link to wikepedias glass info page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_glass

Eric

[jtalbot0001]

Thanks for all the feedback so far guys, very much appreciated! All your comments have been noted, Cheers, Jon. PS: The rim is 2.8cm x 1.5cm and 1mm thick at the rim itself then goes to 3mm.

[Chef Geoff]

Have you looked on the pas site?

[jtalbot0001]

Hi Geoff, I did very briefly go on the database and trawled just a little. I will spend some more time tomorrow and have a look, there is so much to look through. I have also just emailed the Museum of London Archaeology, you never know, they might help me, no harm in trying. If I find anything on PAS or get an answer I will post it. I bet some people aren't really bothered about glass bits, for me it can tell a whole lot more about where you are detecting, so long as you can figure out the age of the glass. PS: I found a James II Halfpenny Tin coin today (worth a fortune if in good nick, mine isn't, can still see the bust etc though), a lead stylus by the looks of things, and just cleaned a coin/medalion/token? It has 3 script letters RMC/BMC on front? And a bust facing left, looks like a woman, will post a pic tomorrow.

[The Doc]

Interesting! The glass does look Roman to me as well, but very difficult to be certain.

Your last find sounds to me like one of these:

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=14145&cat=86

[jtalbot0001]

Peter, you're amazing, that is spot on!! Thanks very much for that identification, I might sound thick but is my find very far from where it originated, IE, I'm in Somerset. Cheers, Jon

[jtalbot0001]

To all about my glass finds, this is the verdict from a specialist, which looks promising. "tear-drop vessel probably a mould-blown beaker – mid 1st C;  other one probably a bowl – natural blue-green glass 1st/2nd century’.

 

[Chef Geoff]

Yes Jon
They come from Anglesey which is about 150 miles as the crow flies and 250 by road, but the Druid token is probably one of the most widely found of truck tokens.
They may have been passed as coin in a time of copper coin shortage.