Deterioro y alteraciones de vidrios romanos en medio marino

Abstract

This work reports the results of the archaeometric study carried out in a set of Late Roman glasses found in the Mazarron Harbour (Murcia). The glasses came from small objects and they were produced by blowing. The chemical analyses demonstrated that all were natron-based soda lime silicate glasses. The common degradation pathologies were pits, dealkalinizated layers and surface deposits. Additionally, accelerated chemical attacks by simulation tests were conducted to establish the degradation mechanism of soda lime silicate glass in synthetic river and seawater. In both cases, a similar mechanism was confirmed, even though the estimated degradation rate was nine times higher on seawater than on river water. Simulation tests have proved to be useful to determine the degradation patterns observed in the Late Roman underwater glasses here studied.