Japanese researchers use synchrotron to analyze origin of ancient glass

Japanese researchers used a synchrotron facility to analyze a glass plate found in a tumulus in Nara, western Japan, dating back to the late 5th century.

"While much of the work done at RIKEN's SPring-8 synchrotron facility in Harima is in areas such as protein and new material analysis, it is also making contributions to archeological research," said a release issued on Monday by RIKEN, a research institute in Japan.

Researchers from the Tokyo University of Science used the facility to analyze the glass plate, using a non-destructive technique.

Based on the analysis, they demonstrated for the first time that the glass found in the ancient tumulus originated from the Roman Empire.

They found that the glass is nearly identical to similar works originating during the Roman Empire, and the antimony found in the analysis performed at the SPring-8 facility indicated that it was similar to pieces that were made in Sassanid Persia until the second century AD.

Yoshinari Abe of Tokyo University of Science, who led the research, speculated that the piece may have been made in Rome, painted in Persia, then transported along the Silk Road and finally arrived in Japan.

The piece is on display at the Tokyo National Museum until Dec. 7.