via Heritage Science, 07 December 2023: In this paper by Wang et al., elemental analysis of 146 glass samples from southwestern Taiwan has uncovered evidence of extensive maritime glass exchange networks from the 1st to 8th century CE. These networks connected Taiwan with Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and potentially the Mediterranean. The study reveals diverse glass types, including South Asian and Mesopotamian origins, highlighting Taiwan’s role in early global trade and the complexity of ancient maritime commerce.
A total of 146 glass samples from Daoye, Daoye South, and Wujiancuo in southwestern Taiwan were subjected to elemental analysis using LA-ICP-MS and SEM–EDS. These samples cover a time span from the first to the eighth century CE. The results provide evidence of the existence of multiple long-distance glass exchange networks that directly or indirectly connected Taiwan to Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and possibly the Mediterranean region. The predominance of the South Asian m-Na-Al glass sub-type 1 suggests that Taiwan mainly participated in the South China Sea maritime glass exchange network, while the identification of a newly recognised sub-type, m-Na-Al low Al low Ca, indicates the possibility of small-scale glass production workshops or a less controlled recipe for m-Na-Al glass production. Furthermore, this research reveals compelling evidence linking early v-Na-Ca glass found in Taiwan to origins in Mesopotamia or Sasanian territories, with the secondary production areas remain unclear. In addition, a potash glass and a Roman HIMT glass were also discovered. The chemical profiles of the potash glass do not align with those of early potash glass, while the HIMT glass can be attributed to the Roman Mediterranean. Taken together, these findings shed light on the intricate maritime exchange networks that operated over vast distances, spanning from the eastern part of the South China Sea to West Asia, covering over eight thousand kilometers. This study thus addresses a significant research gap regarding the maritime exchange of glass during the understudied period of the early to mid-1st millennium CE around the South China Sea and beyond.
