Glassblower and historian Hallie Meredith made a groundbreaking discovery in a quiet museum gallery. Studying diatreta, ancient Roman glass cage cups, she found an unusual pattern on one of the cups that wasn’t just decoration – it was a maker’s mark. This finding suggests that groups of workers collaborated and shared techniques across industries, using symbols to communicate within and between workshops.
Meredith’s research challenges long-held assumptions about how diatreta were produced. Instead of individual skill or single methods, the vessels appear to be the result of a collective process spanning extended periods. The maker’s marks may have functioned like studio logos, showing that branding existed in ancient craft traditions earlier than thought.
As an active glassblower, Meredith brings unique insight into the physical demands of the craft. Her work emphasizes understanding ancient craftsmen beyond technical analysis, considering their lived experiences – labor, training, and creativity.
Meredith’s broader research explores how craftworkers communicated through irregular spellings, mixed alphabets, and unconventional inscriptions. A new database will analyze thousands of objects, illuminating the work of scribes and artisans in multilingual environments. This discovery uncovers a dynamic, interconnected world of Roman craft production with its own systems of communication, collaboration, and identity.
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Source: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/11/hidden-signatures-of-rome-master-glassmakers