Sicilian early Bizantine glass finds: from analytical data to trade informations.

The Ganzirri glass finds can be classified, on the basis of the CaO/Al2O3 ratio, as Levantine I. Moreover, both minor and trace element data allows us to discriminate two distinct groups, one of which is composed of typical HIMT glass. The co-presence of these two glass types is reported for several localities of the Mediterranean area in Byzantine times, and, in particular, the REE and trace elements patterns of the Ganzirri samples are extremely similar to those found for Cyprus finds. Our results confirm that the glass artefacts found in both localities were produced with different glass batches, made with distinct coastal sands. This conclusion is not surprising when considering the strategic position of both sites for trading in the Mediterranean region.