BRACKEN AND THE GLASSMAKER'S ART

摘要

Medieval and post-medieval documentary evidence records that glass could be manufactured using fern ash as a source of glass making alkali. This paper reviews the evidence for the use of bracken, the most abundant species of fern found in Europe, forglass manufacture by examining these early documentary sources and reviewing the contemporary archaeological evidence. Testing the viability of using bracken in glass manufacture by examining bracken growth patterns and yields, and its ability to form glass readily and produce a good quality product are reviewed and demonstrated through experimental investigation.