The aim of this monograph is to bring together in a single volume the results of many years of research into production technology of early vitreous materials. The vitreous materials considered are glazed steatite, faience, Egyptian blue and green frits, and glazed pottery and bricks from Egypt, the Near East, the Indus Valley and Europe spanning the period from their beginnings in the 5th millennium BC through to the Roman period. For each group of material, the emphasis is on presenting the available analytical and microstructural data which are then interpreted to provide information on the raw materials and methods of fabrication employed in their production. Where appropriate, the raw materials used in the production of these materials are compared with those used in the production of contemporary glass. By bringing together data for such a wide range of materials, geographical regions and chronological periods, similarities and differences in production technology are identified, and the pattern of technological discovery, adoption, choice and transfer is thus revealed.

The earliest vitreous materials in Egypt date to c.4000 BC although the production of glass, faience, frit or 'Egyptian blue' does not really take off until the 18th dynasty. Andrew Shortland combines descriptions of various objects made from vitreous materials with an analysis of the processes and techniques used in their production. His study begins with the raw materials, he describes the processing of the materials and the waste products generated, the production and finishing of objects and their final distribution. Focusing largely on evidence from the city of Amarna, a large part of this volume is taken up with analyses of the structure and composition of the vitreous materials.