Collected Material File #04
heritage glass
Collection Details
9-29 Swanston Street, Melbourne, 3000
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
From Metro Tunnel Arts courtesy of Craft Victoria
January & June 2023
Collection Type
Archaeology discard from the Metro Tunnel dig site
Previous Use
Glass bottles
The story of collection
This glass was collected from Craft Victoria following their exhibition, Unearthed.
“In collaboration with the Metro Tunnel Creative Program, Craft worked to share nonsignificant archaeological fragments with Victorian artists to transform them into new objects. All items shared were from the period of time post-European settlement.”
Two large plastic tubs were collected from Jenna Lee after all necessary materials were used by her for Unearthed. There was a mix of materials remaining - many different glass types, but also ceramic, bone, slate and metal. I catalogued each glass type, created a numbering system, and fired a small sample of each type to midfire temperatures.
Extended Material Data
Coordinates
-37.81718852303438, 144.96678292936127
Council / Zoning
Melbourne, CCZ2 (Captial City Zone 2)
Material Origin
Unknown, likely Melbourne region
Composition
Sand (silica), Soda (sodium carbonate), Lime (calcium carbonate)
Measurements (mm)
Varying thickness from 1mm to 12mm. Fragments vary in size and diameter - all curved (part of bottle form) some recognisable bottle bases, necks and mouth piece.
Absorption
0%
Appearance
Various - clear, blue, aqua, deep green, deep blue, all transparent. Some bubbles within the glass. Some iridescence on surface.
Characteristics & Crushing Notes
Dense
Brittle, shatters under stress
Easy to crush to fine grog but very hard to grind into small particles
Breaks off in scales or where shattered, a crystal-like pattern
Post-firing Characteristics (Cone 6)
At ~1000°C (△06), opaque and softened edges but retains some shape and at ~1220°C (△6), transparent and melted
Potential Applications in Ceramics