Characterization of surface layers formed under natural environmental conditions on medieval glass from Siponto (Southern Italy)

In this paper a low-vacuum scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) was used to investigate the alteration processes that occur on silica–soda–lime glass exposed to soil materials and dated from XI to second half of XIII sec. The chemical data were collected for altered glass gel and fresh glass. In order to study the influence of chemical composition on weathering process, 16 glasses have been selected on the basis of the chemical characterization and on the basis of the different corrosion processes present on the fragments. Six selected samples had been produced with the use of natron as fluxer and 10 samples with the use of plant ash as fluxer. The analysed pieces come from Siponto excavations (Foggia, Italy) and they include feet and rims of chalices, fragments of lamps and of globular bottles.