Yin Xia

• MSc
• Head of Department at Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, China

This book mainly introduce polarized light microscopy (PLM) methodology and application in historical pigments identification and research. Compare to XRD、SEM-EDS、XRF、FT-IR and other high-tech methods, it has many advantages, less destructive and economic etc. And it should be basic method in pigment and other archaeological material research. In c...

Lacquer is widely used in ancient times. The antiques unearthed from Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors bear traces of lacquer painting massively. The lacquer paintings on the surface of the Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors fully demonstrate the characteristics and development level of lacquer painting at that time. However, the painted films unearthed appear crispy...

In this paper, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), firing temperature analysis, pore size distribution analysis, Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to analyze the unearthed vulnerable terracot...

Yellow colourants appear to have been rarely employed for tombs mural paintings in ancient China. The recently discovered mural paintings at Xi'an (dated to the Tang dynasty, 618–907 ce) offer fresh materials for characterization of yellow pigments, which can be potentially useful for filling the gap of the yellow pigments. Multi‐analytical approac...

In this paper, the effect of binder decay rather than a change in the pigments on the blurring of ancient wall paintings was researched. The simulated wall paintings were prepared by brushing an aqueous solution containing gelatine and ochre grains on the surface of cylindrical compressed soil samples. Then, the dried samples were calcined at 650 °...

Non‐invasive materials characterisation of reconstructed statues of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army has revealed distinct micro‐geochemical patterning within the clay paste used in their manufacture. The significance of this is explored in terms of the production sequence, logistics and supply‐chain management involved in the construction of...

For forty years, there has been a widely held belief that over 2,000 years ago the Chinese Qin developed an advanced chromate conversion coating technology (CCC) to prevent metal corrosion. This belief was based on the detection of chromium traces on the surface of bronze weapons buried with the Chinese Terracotta Army, and the same weapons’ very g...

Smalt is a ground blue pigment made of potassium glass whose color comes from a small amount of cobalt oxide added during its preparation. It was very frequently used during the 15th to 19th centuries in Europe, but has by contrast been rarely mentioned or studied by Chinese researchers, despite having been identified in recent years on many Chines...

Abstract At the heart of bureaucratic practice during Warring States and early Imperial China were regular, small acts of accountancy in which objects and people were marked so that their movements could be kept track of, their quality checked and their numbers marshalled. In the mausoleum complex of the Qin Shihuang (259-210 bc, the First Emperor...

Indoor environmental controls are critical considerations when preserving artifacts in museums. Controlling the indoor environment of site museum buildings with large space layout typically consumes large amounts of energy. Most of the energy load needed to preserve relics is dissipated throughout the non-occupied space, because the environments th...

Despite decades of research into the Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China, many questions remain about how, where and by whom the figures were made. This new study compares the results of microscopic analysis of the life-sized clay statues to other ceramic artefacts recovered from the mausoleum. By focusing on their original raw materials...

This paper explores the integration of chemical data with metric studies and spatial analyses of archaeological artifacts to investigate questions of specialization, standardization, and production organization behind large-scale technological enterprises. The main analytical focus is placed on the 40,000 bronze arrowheads recovered with the Terrac...

Structure-from-motion and multiview-stereo together offer a computer vision technique for reconstructing detailed 3D models from overlapping images of anything from large landscapes to microscopic features. Because such models can be generated from ordinary photographs taken with standard cameras in ordinary lighting conditions, these techniques ar...

The conservation of the terracotta warriors is a longterm project of great significance, which includes taking photographs, drawing diagrams to show deterioration, documenting the treatment, and monitoring the result in future. The treatment methods and the materials applied are not simple tasks that can be done once and be expected to last forever...

In order to identify the natural organic materials used in cultural relics，the confocal micro － Raman spectra of ancient known protein，polysaccharide，fatty acid and resin materials were obtained． Based on the Raman spectra of animal skin glue，peach tree gum glue，carnauba wax and Dammar tree resin，it was deduced that the peaks at 1657cm－1，1305cm－1～...

A proteinaceous binding media for the polychrome terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shihuang has been identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Methods for the preparation of the model samples and the elimination of interferences have been evaluated, as well as ageing processes. A meth...

Seven samples of green pigment acquisited from Thousand-Buddha Grotto in Sichuan as the research object, Metallographic microscope analysis, polarized microscopic analysis, Raman spectrum analysis technology was used to analyse the composition and constitution, through analysis, it is found that green pigment from Thousand-Buddha Grotto were Man-ma...

The Terracotta Army that protected the tomb of the Chinese emperor Qin Shihuang offers an evocative image of the power and organisation of the Qin armies who unified China through conquest in the third century BC. It also provides evidence for the craft production and administrative control that underpinned the Qin state. Bronze trigger mechanisms...

In the history of Chinese pigment, copper green, a pigment, was used in vast territory and for a long time. In the present paper, the nature, spectral characteristics, thermodynamic stability of the four isomers of the basic copper chlorides and also their application in the polychrome relics were discussed. The four isomers can be identified quick...

Under some investigations, it is found that with the museum building’s protection, although the site museum can avoid site crack, collapse disease phenomena which influenced by the wind, rain, sunshine and other harmful factors, because of salt injury and mold disease, which are the most important factors which weathering cause site ontology damage...

Polychrome cultural relics are an important component of the cultural heritage. The determination and characterization of the binding media in polychrome cultural relics are very crucial to their restoration and conservation.The analytical methods for determination and characterization of the binding media were reviewed in detail, which include mic...

To analysis the component of the pigments of Western Han mural tomb which was excavated in Xi’an University of Technology and discuss the evolution of the pigments usage from Qin to Tang Dynasty. Adopting Powdered Samples Polarized Light Microscopy, Cross-section, Raman Spectroscopy, and XRF to analysis those pigments samples. The result: the red p...

This paper presents a multi-analytical study of the polychromy in the Guangyuan Thousand-Buddha Grotto. Samples taken from 15 locations in No. 512 and No. 689 caves are prepared as cross-sections for the analysis by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with backscattered electron imaging (SEM-BSE). The cross section anal...

From 2007 to 2008, many bronze wares of Qin Dynasty were excavated from tombs at Xinfeng town. Being an important finding, these bronze wares attracted people’s attention, especially for their conservation. Therefore, the corrosive products were explored by using Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector (SEM/EDS), X-Ray di...

The polychrome ceramic relics own abundant information which play an important role in studying ancient Chinese history, culture, economy, science and technology. Because the polychrome ceramic relics analysis couldn't be satisfied by common analytical methods, various kinds of nondestructive spectral technology have been introduced in this area gr...

Green earth as the ground layer of wall painting or as pigment has not been reported before. It should be first case that green earth has been used in ancient China, found in the Eastern Han Dynasty mural tomb, Hao Tan Ding Bian County, Shaanxi. In this paper, one original sample and other four commercial European green earth samples are examined b...

The Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China is one of the most emblematic archaeological sites in the world. Many questions remain about the logistics of technology, standardisation and labour organisation behind the creation of such a colossal construction in just a few decades over 2,000 years ago. An ongoing research project co-ordinated b...

For the propose of getting information of the mural painting layers structure and the pigments ever used from Fuxi Temple, Tianshui Gansu province, 6 samples are examined by polarized light microscopy (PLM), cross-section, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with an attached energy-dispersive spectrometer. The result shows that cinn...

In May 2008 many polychrome terra-cotta figures were unearthed in Linzi City Shandong Province.For the propose of getting information of these potteries polychrome layers structure and the pigments they ever used, 12 samples are examined by polarized light microscopy (PLM), cross-section and Raman spectroscopy. The result shows that cinnabar, iron...

Based on an agreement of cooperative research on craft production, specialisation and organisation during the Qin Period between Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum site museum and University Collage of London Institute of Archaeology, bronze weapons unearthed from terracotta army pits had been focus on, especially the big amount of arrows. At beginni...

This paper is concerned with the inscriptions and finishing marks present on the surfaces of the thousands of bronze weapons recovered together with the Terracotta Army at the mausoleum complex of Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of China (259–210BC). After utilising the textual information from the inscriptions to reconstruct aspects of labour orga...

This article comprises the study of 4 ancient Chinese objects with blue and purple barium-copper-silicate pigments. 3 samples were faience beads from Majiayuan village, Zhangjiachuan County, Gansu Province, dated to the Late Warring States period (474 - 221 BC). In addition a single crystal was studied isolated from a wall painting of the Weishan T...

Pigments of polychrome Cultural Heritage including architecture polychrome, wall painting, pottery polychrome, textile polychrome and faïence in China 11 provinces and more than 30 archaeology sites and museums had been sampled and analysis by optical microscopy, and give us an overall image of ancient Chinese pigments application history. The arti...

The West Han Dynasty Ji-nan King's tomb (164BC-154BC) in Weishan Shandong Province，brought to light hundreds of polychrome pottery figures and chariots and other objects in the year 2002. For the propose of getting information of these potteries polychrome layers structure and the pigments they ever used, 11 samples are examined by polarized light...

In this study, we analyzed three fabricated pigments from ancient artifacts in China. The purple pigment was obtained from a painted pottery figurine unearthed from the Chu Tombs group of the Western Han dynasty in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province. The dark blue dye was from silk textiles in the Palace Museum. The green pigment was from decorative painting...

A-er-zhai Grottos is the only Buddhist Grottos Relics of plain area to the north of the Great Wall, caved time from North Wei to the beginning of Qing Dynasty, mainly in Yuan Dynasty, located Ottok Banner, Ordos city, Inner Mongolia. At present, all the sculptures of the Grottos are totally damaged, and nearly 2000 square meters wall painting is re...

The terracotta army from the burial complex of the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shihuang (died 210 BC) is well known as a collection of grey sculptures which appear from the distance to be a uniform troop. All the sculptures, chariots and weapons were originally painted, but the few colours which survived the centuries were lost during excavation. One...

This article briefly introduces the process of identifying and distinguishing pigments with the different particle optical characteristics using polarized light microscope. The characteristics of Qin terra cotta figures’ pigments are given, and comparison with several famous archeological sites is outlined. The advantages of powdered samples polari...