At the economic crossroad of the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus provides an ideal case study for the investigation of changing trade networks in the eastern Mediterranean during Late Antiquity. This chapter presents the preliminary results from ongoing research on Late Antique glass vessels from Cypriot early Christian basilicas. A combination of archaeological data with chemical and optical spectroscopic measurements allows the characterisation of specific vessel production groups that can be associated with either imported or locally produced glassware.
The ongoing research focuses on the glass vessels from ecclesiastical contexts from the fourth to seventh century CE, which formed a significant component within the church design as lighting devices. A uniform distribution pattern of specific glass vessels within ecclesiastical buildings not only enables a comparison of ecclesiastical contexts within Cyprus during Late Antiquity in the first place but allows also a wider investigation on the material from similar contexts throughout the entire eastern Mediterranean.