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‘Atiqot 73 (2013)
ISBN 2948-040X
Glass Finds from the Crusader-Period Bathhouse in ‘Akko (Acre)
(pp. 109–116)
Yael Gorin-Rosen
Keywords: Galilee, glass production, technology, bull’s-eye, manufacturing technique
More than 700 glass fragments were discovered in the Crusader bathhouse in ‘Akko, the vast majority dating to the Crusader period. Four very small cast-bowl fragments and a glass inlay or gaming piece from the late Hellenistic and Early Roman periods were also found, as well as a fragment of a Byzantine wineglass. Windowpane fragments form the largest part of the Crusader-period glass finds. They were all blown, with a circular or oval outline. Most of the panes were of poor-quality light greenish glass, some were colorless with grayish green, yellowish green, or other undertones, and 30 fragments were in shades of purple and blue. Almost no joins were found between the many fragments, and only a few center fragments were identified. Based on a comparison with the shape of traditional Ottoman bathhouse roofing, the glass windowpanes may have been part of a dome, their centers protruding outward to collect and concentrate the light. Several chunks of glass-production debris were found with the windowpane fragments, and the two are probably contemporary; however, considering the quality of the glass, its fabric, weathering, and other characteristics, the glass debris may also be earlier.