We assume that when we install our double-glazed windows, the glass used will be the latest, most technologically advanced, and most durable glass available. Do you ever wonder how it all started?
Glass production has been around for much longer than we thought. Archaeologists found glass artifacts dating back to 3,000 BC in Egypt and Eastern Mesopotamia. Glass vases from the 16th century BC contain shards that show hollow glass production. Similar techniques were used at the same time by Greece, Egypt, and China.
You can imagine that the process was long, expensive and laborious. It remained an item of supreme luxury that was very difficult for the average person to afford. Glass-blowing was the game-changer in the evolution of this art.
This method is said to have been developed by Syrian artisans in the first century. For the first time ever in human history, glass-blowing became quicker, cheaper and simpler. It was also more accessible to commoners.
The Roman Empire was the first to make glass, and it spread across Europe, the Mediterranean, and even further west. Glass was one of the main commodities traded outside of the Roman Empire. Around 100 AD, clear glass was found in Alexandria. This led to the first use of glass as a building material. This could be called the birth of glass windows. For details on Evesham Double Glazing, go to Firmfix, a leading Evesham Double Glazing company.
Venetian glassmaking flourished towards the end 1200s. Glass-making began here between 1096 and 1270, during the Crusades. In 1291, Murano in Venetian was the first island to produce world-class quality glass. The Venetians made great efforts to keep their glassmaking secrets secret, but eventually their knowledge spread to Europe.