The impact of glassblowing on the Early-Roman glass industry (circa 50 B.C. – A.D. 79)
Journal: Durham e-Theses (Durham University)
Year: 2015

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ancient glass was frequently treated as though it was a prestigious product, owned only by the elites of society. Research was primarily art-historical, and focused on select museum pieces. As archaeology developed, it became clear that glass vessels were used at many, if not most, Roman sites, from the late first century B.C. onward, and in many different social contexts, contradicting the idea that only the rich could afford them. Scholars began to ex