Glass Jar

2100 BC - 2000 BC
Glass
Nippur
5.5 cm x 5.7 cm diam.
A29388

Oriental Institute Museum

Glass Jar

Some experts attribute the invention of glass-making to the ancient Mesopotamians. Ancient glass was made of a silicate (quartzite) mixed with impure soda. The mixture was heated to approximately 1400 degrees celsius, which broke down its crystalline structure, leaving it in the form of a liquid until it cooled, retaining its transparency. This particular jar is made of core-formed glass.

Collected by

Iraq Expedition
Excavated by The Oriental Institute 1951



Suggested Readings

Hodges, Henry. Technology in the Ancient World. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1992.

Moss, Carol. Science in Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Franklin Watts, 1989.

Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.