Scientists reconstruct colour-changing Roman glass
A Sheffield team recreated the optical effect of the 1,600-year-old Lycurgus Cup.
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Researchers at the University of Sheffield have recreated the colour-changing effect of the Roman Lycurgus Cup. The research helps explain how the fourth-century cup appears green in reflected light and red when light passes through it.
The Lycurgus Cup is held at the British Museum and is made of so-called dichroic glass. The colour change is caused by the way light reacts with tiny particles of gold and silver in the glass.
The researchers incorporated nanocrystals of gold and silver into molten glass. They describe how, as the glass cooled, the particles grew around other components of the material. According to their description, this created an optical effect corresponding to the colours of the historical object.
The researchers say the result is more accurate than earlier attempts to reproduce the effect. They found that the conditions in the furnace were important: the temperature and position in the furnace influence which colour the glass ultimately displays.
The study does not claim that the complete production method used by the Roman makers has been definitively established. The researchers say they used a recipe derived from a fragment and thereby created a modern reconstruction. That remains different from directly demonstrating how the original cup was made.
The results are linked to an exhibition in Sheffield opening in November. The reconstruction may help improve understanding of ancient glass technology and how nanomaterials work. It is not yet known whether the research will produce commercial applications.
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Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main technical and historical claims have been checked with the university and independent reporting. Uncertainties about the exact Roman production method have been explicitly included in the text.
- confirmed The Lycurgus Cup is approximately 1,600 years old and changes from green to red depending on the light entering it. — Description by the Sheffield project and The Guardian. source
- confirmed Gold and silver particles cause the optical effect. — Explanation in reporting on the reconstruction. source
- confirmed The reconstruction was made by researchers at the University of Sheffield. — University project page. source
Editor's note
The reconstruction and the exhibition have been confirmed by the university and independent reporting. The precise original production method remains partly uncertain.Sources
- It’s magic: scientists rediscover how to make ancient Roman colour-changing glass — The Guardian
- Ancient Secrets, Modern Light: The Lycurgus Project — University of Sheffield Festival of the Mind
- Multi-analytical study of the effects of secondary working and recycling in Roman glass — Journal of Archaeological Science
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