What Purposes Did This Serve? An Unusual Glass Vessel from The Archaeological Museum of Kastamonu

Glass has been utilized throughout history across a diverse range of fields, including the medical and beauty industries, burial rituals, lighting instruments, architecture, and tableware. Its applications encompass various purposes, forms, types, and decorative styles. Glass artifacts, produced using various techniques since their inception, have gained widespread prominence, particularly following the discovery of the free-blowing method. This technique has established glass as a dominant material across all previously mentioned sectors. In certain instances, the identification of the functional areas of these objects is relatively straightforward. This can be attributed to the fact that familiar forms adhere to established traditions and have been designed and manufactured consistently over an extended period, thereby fulfilling the same functional role. However, certain examples identified during archaeological excavations or recorded in collections present atypical forms. It is challenging to ascertain the function and period of certain artifacts that cannot be contextualized, particularly as they are not derived from archaeological excavations and thus remain subject to interpretation. The case of the Kastamonu Museum, as discussed in this study, is a notable example that deserves interpretation alongside other similar, though rare, instances. In addition to presenting a rare artifact to the archaeological community, the application of 'experimental archaeology' to support our interpretations of the artifact underscores the significance of this study.