[Steppes] Roman Standards

[AlKudsi at aol.com]

I believe that the molds were actually carved sandstone, although very 
logically, they could have been carved pumice (although you wouldn't get as smooth a 
finish with pumice). They very well might have been concrete, though...it has 
been years. I do remember our guide telling us that quite a bit of the 
aqueduct system was made of concrete, so, yes, concrete or a concrete aggregate 
would be a strong possibility for a mold as well. Either would have a slower rate 
of heat exchange which would naturally anneal glass.
 
Glass buried for a long length of time tends to go cloudy, I would presume 
due to long-term interactions with minerals in the ground, and moisture. Changes 
due to acidity or the alkaline nature can do that. We saw an archeological 
dig in Pompeii that was bringing up quite a bit of what probably should have 
been clear glass but that was foggy in places.
 
Wow, this is an exciting discussion on a topic we don't often see in the SCA!
 
Saqra