New Light on Medieval Stained Glass

Stained glass is a characteristic feature of medieval church architecture and an important source of medieval imagery. Some 40,000 tonnes of glass were produced in Europe between A.D. 1250 and 1500, primarily for use in windows. There is little evidence for the production of coloured glass in Britain and it is believed to have been imported. This presentation explains how laboratory analysis is helping us to understand the origins of medieval glassmaking, the way the glass was made and how the glaziers obtained their glass.

Biography: Ian Freestone worked for twenty-five years in the laboratories of the British Museum, researching the materials science of artefacts from the Neolithic through to the early modern period. He moved to Cardiff University as a professorial research fellow in 2004, and on to UCL as Professor of Archaeological Materials and Technologies in 2011. His current research focuses on the glass industries from the Roman period through to the Renaissance. He is a recipient of the Archaeological Institute of America’s Pomerance Medal for scientific contributions to archaeology.