Abstract:Rain is one of the main causes of damage to the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Yuyang borough, Shaanxi Province. This survey show that rain have seriously damaged the site. To study the destructive effect of rain on the sites, the type of damage and the overall impact based on the onsite survey results, the site characteristics, precipitation patterns in the region and the soil erosion theories were analyzed. The results show that the damage can be catogorized as either direct or indirect erosion. The main causes of damage are gulch erosion, laminar flow surface erosion and rain erosion peeling. The factors that affect the degree of destruction include the rainfall features, the site shape, characteristics of site soil, the plant growing conditions and the mantle reservoir layer. The main factors affecting each type of damage are different. The research results not only enrich the knowledge of how rainfall damages sites, but also provide a foundation for the selection of protective actions to be taken for the protection of the Great Wall in Yuyang borough, Shaanxi province.

Abstract:The selection of materials for reinforcement and protection of earthen archaeological sites located in humid environment has been a big problem in China for a long time. Currently, there are no standard procedures to follow. The Tanshishan Site in Fujian in southeast China is a typical coastal region earthen archaeological site in a humid environment. During the process of site protection in recent years, four kinds of reinforcement materials have been used according to the various base compositions. After a great deal of indoor and local field testing, it is found that long chain alkyl alkoxysiloxane, polysilicic acid ethyl ester mixture which contains oxygen group and sodium silicate and siloxane copolymer are good reinforcing agents and are effective in the humid environment of the Tanshishan site. This is a beneficial attempt and exploration for protection development of archaeological sites under humid environment in China.

Abstract:In order to study the characteristics of the lime layers in Tang tomb murals, seven Tang tomb lime layer samples, including one from Qianling, were analyzed with ultradepth field microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,Xray diffraction,thermal analyzer and strength tester to determine their macroscopic and microscopic structures, chemical makeup and mechanical strength. Results show that the lime layers are mainly composed of inorganic substances such as calcium carbonate,silica and magnesium dolomite. The average content of inorganic and organic substances is 88.7% and 9.3% respectively. The thickness is between 3mm and 5mm and the average pore diameter is about 1.77μm with roughly 7920holes per mm²; The breaking strength is around 0.96MPa. Furthermore,the ratio of inorganic to organic substances was in inversely correlated to its porosity. A small diameter, low moisture content and the presence of magnesium dolomite seem to contribute to an increase in strength. This study not only extends the research on the characteristics of Tang tomb mural lime layers, but also provides a scientific basis for the search for more suitable infiltration and strengthening materials and for technologies that can be used in later restoration efforts.

Abstract:In China, reinforced concrete buildings built during the period of the Republic of China have been used for a long time and have various degrees of durability problems. In order to establish scientific standards for preserving such buildings, six typical cases were investigated on site in order to predict the durability and service life of this kind of building. Criteria for calculating the durability and carbonation life of this kind of building were proposed. It is suggested that the service life can be calculated based on the degree of steel bar corrosion and concrete cracking. The projected service lives of these buildings were calculated and analyzed, and the results shows that the remaining service lives of this kind of building are less than 10years. Therefore this kind of building is in urgent need of strengthening and repair.

Abstract:Air quality in the storage environment is critical to protection of cultural relics. Because of inadequate protection, some of cultural relics that have been stored for a long time are partly stained, some have color changes and some have warped lacquer and polychrome layers. In order to avoid this damage to the relics, it is necessary to study the storage environment, so as to develop a scientifically based way to control it. From Jan 30^th to Mar 3^nd (winter),Jul 28^th to Aug 22^nd(summer), 2008,a series of indoor air sample were collected. The microclimate monitoring was conducted in pottery storage room of the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum to determine the concentrations of airborne watersoluble ions particulate matter (PM2.5) and SO_2and NH_3gases in the air. The results show that the average PM2.5 mass and water soluble ion concentration are higher in winter than in summer, whereas these values are higher outdoors than indoors. However, there are some exceptions:the indoor concentrations of Cl- and CO are higher than outdoor concentrations in summer. Also, due to the temperature, the concentration of NH_3is higher in summer than in winter; and in summer, the indoor NH_{3concentration} is higher than it is outdoors. Thus the air pollution and microclimate show obvious seasonal variations. The concentrations of some pollutants are higher than normal and may have some impact on the cultural relics in the storage room that needs to be addressed.

Abstract:Organic cultural relics can be easily infected by fungi in the muggy environment of Southern China. As a result, cultural relics can suffer irreversible destruction. To prevent the growth of mildew, two methods are usually used. One is to control the temperature and humidity of the environment and the other is to use mildew preventives. However, these two methods can be limited by economic concerns and scoope of application. To address the above problems, the Nanjing Museum promotes the research on fungicidal papers used for collections of cultural relics. Some common, safe mildew preventives used in museums were chosen for testing. Their inhibition zones and fungicidal effectiveness times were compared. The results indicate that LAg003, NMF1, and MD have better inhibition effects against fungi commonly seen in cultural relics, therefore they could be used in the fungicidal papers.

Abstract:A large number of polychrome ceramics were excavated from satellite pits of the Han dynasty tomb in Qingzhou, Shandong province. These objects are of different categories. Some horse and figure polychrome pottery objects are particularly well preserved and have bright colors. The paintings on these objects suggest a high level of manufacturing skill that is rare among similar objects. To investigate the polychrome and pottery manufacturing techniques used during the Han Dynasty, Raman spectroscopy (RS), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy (SEMEDX),polarized light microscopy (PLM), optical microscopy (OM), Xray diffraction (XRD), wavelength dispersive Xray fluorescence (WDXRF) and measurement of thermal expansion were used to study both the materials and the manufacturing technology used. The results indicate that pottery body of these polychrome potteries are made of local clay mixed with water for shaping and then baked at 900~1000°C. The colorants found are all mineral pigments. The white pigment is CaCO₃, red pigments are Fe₂O_3and HgS, the black pigment is carbon black while the purple pigment is BaCuSi₂O₆. The pigments presumably are applied on the pottery by mixing with animal glue. This technique is a typical way to make polychrome pottery in the Qin and Han dynasties. This study can supply scientific data for conservation of similar cultural objects.

Abstract:In 2006, large iron weapons were excavated from pits accompanying the Xiangshan tomb (dated back to the Western Han dynasty) in Qingzhou city, Shandong province. The iron spearheads were heavily corroded and adhered to each other. The corrosion products were analyzed by Laser Confocal MicroRaman Spectroscopy, Xray Diffraction, Xray Fluorescence and Ion Chromatography. The formation and crystal characteristics of the main corrosion products, αFeOOH and γFeOOH, were described. Then the state of corrosion of the iron artifact was characterized. The artifacts were conserved as a whole, without derusting or separation, the conservation method commonly used in the past. The conservation principles were flexibly applied and the expected conservation target was achieved.

Abstract:To reinforce ancient Pinus kesiya wood excavated from the Haimenkou site at Jianchuan, oxalic acid was used to for decolorization, methanol for dehydration and rosin and shellac in methanol for enhancement. The whole enhancement process includes penetration and drying, and protection by experimental reinforcement. After reinforcement, the surface of the sample had a light color that preserved the original wood color, grain and texture. The density of the treated wood is 0.437g/cm³, close to its modern counterpart. The parallelgrain compressive strength increased by 24.6% after reinforcement. Shrinkage rate, when the wood when completely dried, was:longitudinal direction, 2.2%; radial 3.5%; tangential, 7.7%. All shrinkage rates are within the normal rates seen when wood is dried. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) study showed that the natural resin stayed on the surface of the cell walls, providing great support for them. After reinforcement, the cell walls of the treated wood were smooth, dense and had clear outlines. There was good interface bonding between the cell walls, and the cell cavity was relatively smooth. This research shows that this reinforcement method can effectively decrease the hygroscopic properties of waterlogged wooden relics and improve their physicochemical properties. When necessary, methanol or ethanol can be used to dissolve the rosin and shellac used, which means the treatment is reversible, allowing for the possibility for other, future treatment.

Abstract:In preparation for dehydration and restoration of the fabric core of lacquer wares excavated from the Haiqu tomb site, a Han Dynasty tomb site in Rizhao city, structures and materials of nineteen samples were analyzed. Based on the analysis result, a film from a sample (Haiqu07) and one from a modern lacquer were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and by thermal techniques. The main absorption peaks of IR spectra of the ancient film and modern lacquer are basically the same, which showed that the lacquer has good stability and resistance to aging, and has high thermal stability matrix with pigments. The results can provide some information for the study of ancient Chinese lacquer film.

Abstract:Research on the binding media used in ancient tomb mural paintings is a hot topic in international scientific archaeology. In this study, the EnzymeLinked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) technique was applied to analyze and determine the concentration of dog collagen in the red, black and yellow mural painting samples in the tombs built in 5th century in North China. It is found that the dog collagen concentration in the dry red mural painting samples was 7.328mg/L, but no dog collagen was detected in the moist black, yellow and red mural painting samples. This work was successful in using the ELISA method to detect the binding media in ancient Chinese mural paintings. ELISA can also be used for the rapid, direct detection of animal species in other ancient mural painting relics.

Abstract:One of the urgent research topics for preservation of modern and contemporary paper relics is the rapid and economical deacidification of papers without damaging textural qualities such as tensile and folding properties. In this paper, plasma technology was used to effectively reduce the acidity of paper at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, so as to avoid crinkling and the alteration of seen using traditional wet methods. Positive deacidification results were achieved by adjusting treatment parameters, such as energy density, processing times, etc. The pH value of the paper samples rose from 5.0~6.0to above 7.0~8.0after deacidification for 5minutes. The texture of the paper texture remained stable, with no chromatic aberrations, and there was a small increase in the tensile strength that remained at over 95% after artificial aging treatments. It can be concluded that the plasma deacidification technique can be applied to machinemade paper of various ages and condition of preservation. The method can be widely used as a deacidification method.

Abstract:In China, paste is the main adhesive material used during the process of painting and calligraphy mounting, and is key to determining the quality of mounting and a deciding factor for the success or failure of the whole process. Paste production conditions determine its serviceability. In this study wheat starch was used as the adhesive material, a rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA) was used to analyze the adhesive gelatinization curves obtained for pastes made under various conditions of concentration, stirring speed, stirring time and temperature. The results show that as the concentration increases, both the attenuation and retrogradation values increase, indicating poor stability of the paste and strong adhesive power after cooling. As the stirring time and frequency increases, the final viscosity decreases. The highest heating temperature has an effect on the adhesive gelatinization curve:the higher the heating temperature, the higher the gelatinization temperature and the higher the final viscosity. Physical property test instrument was used to test the influence of different aging times on the viscosity of starch paste. It was found that the longer time the gelatinized starch was kept,the more its macromolecular chains degraded or recrystallized and, as a result, the performance of the peel strength decreased, and adhesiveness also declined. Based on this study, it was found that the best conditions for preparing the paste are:paste concentration, 3g/25mL; heating temperature, 95℃; stirring time, 2minutes; and stirring rate, 12revolutions/min. This study confirms traditional paste preparation techniques and provides a scientific basis for it.

Abstract:A high resolution computer tomography system employing Digital Radiography (DR) and Conebeam Tomography (CT) was used to construct threedimensional (3D) models of a bronze incense burner in the museum collection, with the aim of understanding its technique of manufacture. Surface 3D information was collected after obtaining greyscale images and graphics and image processing. This data was then processed in a reverse engineering software system and used to construct a 3D computeraided design (CAD) model. Analysis of the model shows that the data points are scattered evenly and that there were no blind areas. It is also found that the burner has welding holes and sites of deformation. The constructed 3D CAD model of the burner has very good geometric similarity to the original object. This study shows that high resolution computed tomography has high spacial resolution and precision, and is a reliable method for obtaining 3D structural data on bronzes.

Abstract:With the arrival of the era of intelligent information gathering, collection management can become more efficient and flexible. Using “Internet of Things” and related technology, collect information on cultural relics more rapidly and accurately are able to be obtained, their storage environments can be monitored and the staff members who work in the storage area can be identified. A software platform and system are built to analyze and process the collected data, finally realizing the goal of dynamic management of cultural relics, including searching for information and enhancing the level of environmental monitoring and staff management. Using “Internet of Things” and related technology for collection management, it can improve efficiency, enhance the security, and provide new ideas for managing cultural relics.

Abstract:Protective restoration is a conservation method based on analysis of painting materials and approaches to restoration. A Qing Dynasty export painting was used as an example to test this approach to the conservation and restoration of ancient Chinese oil paintings in a systematic scientific way. The project was discussed in terms of analytical requirements and restoration plans. Xray fluorescence spectrometery (XRF), digital microscopy and UV fluorescence spectroscopy were used together with chemical tests to characterize the painting materials and the composition of surface stains and black and brown spots on the oil painting. The analytical results show that the black and brown spots have high iron content, which suggests that they might be rust from the iron in the tin plate. In this case, the main goal is the restoration and protection after rust cleaning.

Abstract:In this paper, six characteristics of hollowedout bronzes were analyzed. The technological development can be divided into four development phases. The initial phase is represented by a box with a hollowedout dragon design from Rui tomb and the Ding (鼎) with a hollowedout snake embossment from Xinjiang; the forming phase is represented by Yun’er Zhan (盏) and Xugong Ning handles with hollowedout dragons; the ripe phase is represented by bronze Jin(禁) from Xiasi in Xichuan and Zenghou Yi Zun(尊) and Pan(盘); the highlevel phase is represented by the Chen Zhang Hu (壶). According to the excavated plots and the dates of these bronzes having hollowedout dragon or snake designs, it is suggested that this technique spread from the Han State to the Chu State and then to the other areas, which include today’s Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu and Hebei provinces.