Glassmaking may have begun in Egypt, not Mesopotamia
Artifacts from Iraq site show less sophisticated technique, color palette
GLASS CONTRASTS Glassmaking started in ancient Egypt, not the Near East as often assumed, researchers say. Approximately 3,400-year-old fragments from a decorated glass vessel found in Iraq (right) may even represent a fairly crude attempt to copy more advanced Egyptian glass colors and designs (left) from the same time.
©Trustees of the British Museum; K. Eremin/Harvard Semitic Museum