Abstract:The development of glazed tiles has a long history in China. They originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty and were widely used in high-grade buildings in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and then flourished in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. As a minority regime, Xixia stood side-by-side the Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties, and played an important transitional role in the development of glazed tile technology. The Xixia Mausoleum site is a typical representative of official architecture in the Xixia period. It is located at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain in the western suburb of Yinchuan city, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. After archaeological investigation and excavation, a large number of cultural relics, including a huge amount of architectural components were unearthed. These were mainly white porcelain tiles and various types of green glazed building components, and are typical representatives of official architecture. At present, many important achievements have been made in the research on the archaeological work and unearthed cultural relics of Xixia Mausoleum. However, the social functions of porcelain and glazed tiles of Xixia are mainly studied through archaeological typology and historical documents, and there is little research on technology. At the same time, the relevant technical characteristics and sources are also an urgent problem to be solved. In order to study the technological characteristics of official building materials in Xixia, 30 white porcelain and green glazed tiles unearthed at the site were selected for phase analysis and microscopic observation by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the content of Al2O3 in the body of white porcelain tile is high and that mullite is present. The glaze formula belongs to a fine calcium alkali glaze technology, close to that of the white porcelain of Lingwu kiln at the same time. It should be made by white porcelain technology. The green glazed tiles have high contents of CaO and Fe2O3 in their bodies, typical of the common high calcium fusible clay in the north. The glaze is lead glaze with copper as colorant, which is similar composition to the green glazed tiles of the Song Dynasty and which conforms to the traditional low-temperature lead green glaze system, which may be completed by using the technology of the central plains for reference. The tiles made of both materials are high-grade architectural components in the Xixia period and are typical representatives of official architectural materials. They co-exist, showing the diversity of official building material production technology in Xixia. However, the two technologies are quite different and come from different sources, which reflect that Xixia is inclusive in the production of official building materials, can closely combine Buddhist culture while learning the tradition of the central plains, and has the national characteristics of Dangxiang nationality. More importantly, the architectural system in Xixia has tended to be complex, and different glazed tiles may be used according to different parts, properties, grades and functions of the architecture, which is a great contribution to the enrichment and development of the architectural glazed system. Based on the analysis of scientific and technological archaeology, this paper explores the technological characteristics of official architecture in Xixia, and discusses the ideological ethics reflected by the manufacturing technology. This paper further enriches the research on porcelain and glazed architectural components in Xixia, forms a contrast with the glazed buildings in Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties, and supplements research on the glaze technology in ancient China. It not only deepens the understanding of Xixia official architecture, but also promotes the understanding of the cultural integration and mutual learning between Xixia and the central plains.