Contained in:
  • Florentia
  • Edited by Michele Nucciotti, Elisa Pruno
Book Chapter

Un frammento di disco vitreo dal Castello di Shobak

  • Elena Casalini

Islamic glass disk weights are common through museums and private collections, although they are usually linked to Egypt due to their provenience or because they bear the finance directors names known to be active in Egypt. Egyptian glass weights have been largely studied, and offered a starting point for studies on the Syrian ones, while jordanian territory is yet to be investigated. Their use is broad and their interpretation not always certain, having usually lost their originally context: coin weights or monetary substitutes for copper and low-value currency, and later re-used tokens. Aim of this study is to analyse the origin, possible use, historical context and economic significance in exchange politics of a glass disk weight fragment from the excavation of the CF 35 in Shobak Castle, a great vaulted structure, built by crusaders and reused by ayyubids, located in the “monumental” area of the castle. It comes from the most recent layer, a thick level of sand and clay, covering the whole excavation area and dating to the abandon period. The item bears part of an inscription and a central design, it is therefore possible to establish a link to official coinage and patronage, and to deepen the knowledge of political and economic interaction of such a crucial area.

  • Keywords:
  • Islamic Glass,
  • Medieval Archaeology,
  • Cultural Heritage,
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Elena Casalini

University of Florence, Italy

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  2. A. Fenina, À propos de la fonction des disques légers en verre à inscriptions arabes d’époques fāṭimide et post-fāṭimide : ṣanaǧāt ou jetons fiduciaires ?, Der Islam, n.93 vol.1, pp. 101-138.
  3. E. Puin, Silver Coins of the Mamluk Sultan Qalawun (678-689/1279-1290) from the Mints of Cairo, Damascus, Hamah, and al-Marqab, Mamlūk Studies Review, n.4, 2000, pp. 75-129.
  4. G.C. Miles, Early Arabic Glass Weights and Stamps. A Supplement, The American Numismatic Society, Numismatic Notes and Monographs n. 120, New York, 1951, pp. 64-76. DOI: 10.1515/islam-2016-0005
  5. I. M. Baidoun, Sylloge of the Islamic Coins in the Israel Museum, in S. B. Heidemann and H. Gitler ed., The Paul Balog Collection, Egypt. Vol.III. The Mamluks 1248–1517, «Polymnia. Numismatica antica e medievale. Documenti», N.2, Trieste 2011.
  6. K. Eldada, Glass Weights and Vessel Stamps in Fustat Finds, in J.L. Bacharach (ed.), «Fustat Finds. Beads, Coins, Medical Instruments, Textiles and Other Artifacts from the Awad Collection», Cairo/New York, The American University in Cairo Press, 2022, pp. 112-166.
  7. M.L. Bates, How Egyptian Glass Coin Weights were Used, in «Rivista Italiana di Numismatica e Scienze Affini», n. 95, 1993, pp. 539-545.
  8. M.L. Bates, The Function of Fāṭimid and Ayyūbid Glass Weights, in Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, N.24, vol.1, 1998, pp. 63‒92.
  9. P. Balong, Fāṭimid Glass Jetons: Token Currency or Coin-Weights?, «Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient», N.24, vol.1, 1981, pp. 93-109.
  10. P.Balog, The Ayyūbid Glass Jetons and Their Use, «Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient»,  N. 9, vol. 3, 1966, pp. 242-256.
  11. P.Balog, Umayyād,ʿAbbāsid and Ṭūlūnid Glass Weights and Vessel Stamps, Numismatic Studies. Vol. 13, New York, 1976. DOI: 10.23858/APol66.2021.009
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  • Publication Year: 2024
  • Pages: 127-134
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
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  • Publication Year: 2024
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
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Chapter Information

Chapter Title

Un frammento di disco vitreo dal Castello di Shobak

Authors

Elena Casalini

Language

Italian

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-0376-0.11

Peer Reviewed

Publication Year

2024

Copyright Information

© 2024 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Bibliographic Information

Book Title

Florentia

Book Subtitle

Studi di archeologia: vol. 5 - Numero speciale - Studi in onore di Guido Vannini

Editors

Michele Nucciotti, Elisa Pruno

Peer Reviewed

Number of Pages

596

Publication Year

2024

Copyright Information

© 2024 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Publisher Name

Firenze University Press

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-0376-0

ISBN Print

979-12-215-0375-3

eISBN (pdf)

979-12-215-0376-0

Series Title

Strumenti per la didattica e la ricerca

Series ISSN

2704-6249

Series E-ISSN

2704-5870

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