Morphological Analysis of a Group of Glass Vessels in the Van Archaeological Museum Collection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30546/679523.2.2025.058Keywords:
Lake Van Basin, Roman Period, Glass Vessel, Bird-Shaped Bottle, Lotus Beaker, BeakerAbstract
Van, one of the well-known ancient settlements in Anatolia, is situated in the Lake Van Basin of the Eastern Anatolia Region in Türkiye. From antiquity to the present day, the region has hosted numerous civilisations. The collection of the Van Archaeological Museum encompasses a wide range of artefact groups spanning a broad historical timeline. Among the existing groups of finds in the museum are glass artefacts dated to the Roman Period. The numerical abundance (934 findings) and typological diversity of the glass artefacts in the museum’s collection provide significant data regarding the use of glass products originating from the Roman Period in settlement areas within the Eastern Anatolia Region. The glass artefacts considered in this study are part of the Van Archaeological Museum’s collection, acquired through purchases and donations. The analytical focus is on five glass vessels: a bird-shaped bottle, a lotus beaker, and a beaker. These artefacts were studied from various perspectives, including production techniques, areas of use, and functions. Despite the limited amount of data directly associated with the Roman period from archaeological excavations and surface surveys across the Lake Van Basin, the collection provides significant evidence regarding the use and presence of Roman-period glassware in settlement areas of the region. With the discovery of the glassblowing technique during the Roman Period, the production of glass containers for daily use, for storing personal care products, and for creating glass items as accessories became a popular industry across settlements under Roman cultural influence. In this context, although the glass finds from the Lake Van Basin are locally distinct, they generally bear traces of the Roman glass industry.
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