Investigation of scientific archaeological excavation reports in Iran indicated that these excavations yielded a large number of fragments of glass objects from many archaeological sites, but a very limited number of preliminary studies on elemental analysis of a few Iranian glass objects have been published. Also, a literature survey on pre-Islamic glass objects (especially from Parthian and Sasanian epoch) indicates that there are only a few studies on a limited number of Sasanian and Parthian glasses from Iraq, too. However, a systematic analysis of the Parthian glasses artifacts from Iran is still missing and until now, no reports has been reported about the chemical composition of Parthian glasses from Iran. Therefore, for the first time, the chemical composition of Parthian glass objects from the Shaur Palace at Susa in Khuzistan Plain have been considered. Shaur Palace locates at the west of the ancient site of Susa, next to Shaur River, Khuzestan province, south-west of Iran. It has been excavated by a joint French-Iranian team since 1970 to 1976. There were recognized three Islamic, Parthian, and Achaemenid strata. In this work, 21 glass objects date back the Parthian period were analyzed by Micro- PIXE technique in order to measure the constituent elements and to investigate the types of glass and raw materials used in the manufacturing recipe. The micro-PIXE measurement was performed with scanning proton microprobe system manufactured by Oxford Instruments using the 3 MV Van de Graaff accelerators at the Nuclear Science & Technology Research Institute in Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The samples were analyzed in a vacuum chamber using a beam of 2.5MeV protons focused to a diameter less than 10 μm. The beam current was in the range of 30 to 50 pA. Characteristic X-rays were detected using a Si(Li) detector with an active area of 60 mm2 positioned at an angle of 135° relative to the incident beam direction and with an energy resolution of 150 eV for Fe-Kα. Analyzed samples were fragments of the body, rim, bottom, and handle of vessels such as bowls, bottles and beakers. They were generally green with a nacreous coating, resulted from surface corrosion due to long-term burial in the soil. Also, 90% of glass objects manufactured at Shaur Palace were manufactured on free blowing method and most of them were plain and undecorated. Elemental analysis of the glass artifacts by micro-PIXE indicated that the constituent elements of the samples are sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphor, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, calcium, titanium, manganese, and iron, with different concentration and weight percent percentage (wt%). Determination and measurement of each of these elements respond to questions raised about the technology, type of the glass and raw materials of manufacturing recipe. The micro-PIXE analysis showed that these samples are mainely composed of SiO2 (63-65 wt %), Na2O (13-18 wt %) and CaO (6-8 wt %). Consequently, all these samples are Silica- Soda- Lime glass type. However, the amounts of magnesium oxide (MgO) and potassium oxide (K2O) in all analyzed samples were more than 2.5wt%, where their contents vary between 2.5 to 5wt%, and 2.5 to 4.5wt%, respectively. Therefore, it is was clear that the ashes obtained from halophytic plants are considered as supplying source for soda in these glasses, so these glasses are Plant ash Silica- Soda- Lime type. Moreover, the micro-PIXE results clearly revealed that in the manufacturing of all shaur glass objects the same sources of silica and plant ashes have been used. In addition, the strong linear correlation of minor elements in the samples indicated that colorants and decolorizing agents have not been intentionally added in the manufacturing process.

Glass beads are unique objects to investigate the trade and exchange of these artifacts between different regions and cultures in the past. The site of Saleh Davoud and its ancient tombs in Susa were excavated in two seasons in 2000 and 2004, under the supervising of Mehdi Rahbar. From these excavations, a significant number of colored glass beads and a number of pieces of glass vessels have been unearthed. In regard to the other objects such as coins, potteries, etc., the period of these glass artifacts dated back to the Parthian-Elymae period. The majority of glass vessels found in Saleh Davoud are simple in shape (undecorated) with green hue in contrast to the glass beads which were considered in much diversity of color. Meanwhile, the different color lines and the gilded layer were used to decorate on the external surface of beads. In this study, totally 13 samples of glass objects from Saleh Davoud, including five samples from glass vessels and eight samples from colored beads have been selected to analyze by micro-ion beam techniques. The aims of the analysis of these objects by micro-PIXE were to focuse on the elemental composition of the main body (bulk glass composition) of the artifacts as well as the decorations which were applied in order to identify the raw materials and get information about the mineral pigments. The thickness and purity of the gold in the gilded layer that was used in a few glass beads were also measured by micro-RBS. The most important questions and hypotheses in this research are: 1- Whether glass beads and glass vessels are locally produced or are imported from other areas; 2- Determination of the pigments and the elements that are responsible for different surface decoration of beads; and 3- Measurement of thickness and the purity of the gold layer using Rutherford Back Scattering (RBS) technique to obtain information about the gilding process. The micro-Ion Beam analysis was performed with microprobe system manufactured by Oxford Instruments using the 3 MV Van de Graaff accelerators at the Nuclear Science & Technology Research Institute in Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The samples were analyzed in a vacuum chamber using a beam of 2.5MeV protons focused to a diameter less than 10 μm. The beam current was in the range of 30 to 50 pA. Characteristic X-rays were detected using a Si(Li) detector with an active area of 60 mm2 positioned at an angle of 135◦ relative to the incident beam direction and with an energy resolution of 150 eV for Fe-Kα. Elemental analysis and measurement of the constituents of these samples show that all analyzed glasses from the Saleh Davoud are Soda-lime-silica glass type. However, the weight percentages of magnesium oxide (MgO) and potassium oxide (K2O) in the analyzed samples suggest that the glass beads are manufactured by the mineral soda (natron) flux, and glass vessels were used the plant ashes as a flux. The amount of MgO and K2O are the main reason for this identification. These two oxides in the glass beads are less than 1.5wt. %, while in the glass vessels are more than 2.5wt. %. Therefore, the glass beads were most likely imported from other areas such as Egypt or the eastern Mediterranean Sea through the trade and exchange of glass products to the Saleh Davoud. Moreover, based on the elemental maps from the micro-PIXE analysis, the elements which are responsible for, red, green, yellow and white colors might be identified as Fe, Cu and Pb.