In order to understand the effect of metal ions on silk aging,silk samples were buried in a simulated environment.The effect of Fe and Cu on the aging process of silk textiles has been primarily investigated.Contacting and immersion were two methods used to age silk textiles in burial environments that simulate North and the South geographical burial environments. The morphology,structure and compositional changes of aged silk samples were recorded.The results indicate that metals Fe and Cu,as well as their insoluble corrosion products,including iron hydroxide gel do no harm to silk,but soluble Fe ions and Cu ions produced during the oxidation process can damage silk.The soluble Fe ions and Cu ions can greatly accelerate the aging of silk,resulting in cracks and breaking of the fiber and lowering the silk fiber strength.The results suggest that understanding the role of ions in the aging of silk can,in theory,aid in the cleaning of silk textiles.