Indagine archeometrica di perline in vetro e faience dell'Età del Ferro provenienti da Bilsk Hill Fort (Ucraina)

This thesis presents the results of the archaeometric investigation performed on 31 fragments of archaeological materials from the archaeological sites of Bilsk Hill Fort (North-East Ukraine). The samples were provided by the Kharkiv National University and the set is composed by 6 fragments of faience, 23 of archaeological glass and 2 of organic materials, all dated between the 8th and 5th century BCE. The samples were subjected to non-destructive analyses by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), micro-X-ray Diffraction (μ-XRD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman). SEM-EDS and LA-ICP-MS analysis were performed on all the samples (with the exception of organic ones), while μ-XRD and μ-Raman only on a representative part of them. Samples of the organic materials were analysed using FTIR The data were elaborated in order to obtain compositional and morphological information on each sample, then they were discussed together in order to give a general picture of the chemical characteristics of all the samples. The compositions of the fragments provided clues about the different raw materials used. This thesis aims at broadening the knowledge on vitreous materials production and trade during the Iron Age in the Poltava region (North-East Ukraine), where different populations met and collided from the 8th to the 3rd century BCE. In that period, there was a flourishing of trade routes and commercial exchanges in the area, which is testified by the archaeological findings at the Bilsk Hill Fort. The composition of the glass can give relevant information about trade routes, cultural development and economic aspects. Nonetheless, it was necessary to fit the analytical procedures to the nature of the archaeological material, as the museum that holds the samples requested to preserve them throughout the analytical process.