To obtain information on pigment usage and the technology of constructing the wood based lacquer screens from the Tomb of SIMA Jin long(dated Northern Wei Dynasty,of Datong city,Shanxi province),Micro Raman,FTIR,WDXRF,and cross sectional observation were used to characterize and identify the four major pigments(red,black,yellow,and white),the reddish grounding substances,and the decoration.The results showed:(1)the major pigments are identified as cinnabar,carbon black,orpiment,realgar,and gypsum;(2)the reddish grounding substance was shown to be a mixture of Chinese lacquer and cinnabar as the colorant;further FTIR analyses of the reddish grounding substance revealed no evidence of Chinese wood oil;(3)the painting was found to have of one or more distinct pigment layers with consistent thickness;the tiny differences among the thickness indicated a superb painting skill;(4)some white substance was noticed in both the pigment layers and in the transition region to varying degrees.XRF analysis showed that the major constituents of the white substance in the transition region are calcium and phosphorus.Based on the work of other scholars,the source of the white substance is probably hydroxyapatite.The chemical composition and mineral phases of the white particles found in the pigment layers still await identification.