Materials from the tomb of Tuthmosis III's three foreign wives are the starting point for studies exploring glassmaking in Egypt about 1800-1400 B.C.

Neutron activation analysis and emission spectroscopy were used to analyze ancient Egyptian glass. The emission spectroscopic method for determining Li, Na, K, Rb, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, B, Al, P, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zr, Ag, Sn, Sb, Pb, and Bi is described in the appendix. Neutron activation was used to determine Na, K, Rb, Ba, Sc, La, Ce, Eu, Lu, Hf, Th, Ta, Cr, Fe, Co, and Sb by a method described by Tobia and Sayre at the conference. (DHM).

The Silk Road is a main artery connecting Europe and Asia for political, economical, cultural and technical exchange in antiquity, and glass is one of the earliest artificial materials to be invented. Studying the origin and evolution of ancient glass along the Silk Road is thus significant for understanding the development and exchange of culture and technology between China and abroad.This book, for the first time, traces the origin, evolution and spreading of ancient Chinese glass technology. It collects a wealth of data contributed by Chinese and foreign experts regarding the history and background, visual characteristics and chemical compositions of the unearthed ancient glasses from along the Northern (Oasis) Silk Road, especially from the Xinjiang Province (known as the “Western Region” in ancient times). The book presents new results of the studies on ancient glasses along the Southern and Sea Silk Roads, and discusses the influence of the Silk Road on ancient Chinese glass technology and art.