Abstract:Microbial diseases are one of the main diseases faced by ancient wooden shipwrecks after salvage. Among them, the growth and metabolism of microorganisms in the water/soil environment where ancient shipwrecks are located may directly damage the shipwrecks or affect the safety of cultural relics by changing the environment. Meanwhile, the change of environmental factors also has a reverse effect on the community structure and metabolic characteristics of microorganisms. Therefore, environmental factors and microbial communities form a dynamic system that affects each other. It is an important direction for the conservation of ancient wooden shipwrecks to study the mechanism of interaction between microorganisms and environmental factors in a systematic and in-depth way, identify and even predict risks in time and adopt scientific and effective prevention and control strategies. In this study, the characteristics of environmental factors, microbial community structure and potential disease-causing microorganisms before and after salvage of the Yangtze River Estuary No.2 shipwreck were studied through environmental monitoring and sequencing technologies. The results show that:1) before and after salvage of the Yangtze River Estuary No.2 shipwreck, the change of water environmental factors was bigger, and the microbial richness and diversity decreased significantly, especially the bacterial richness; 2) the change of sediment environmental factors was smaller, and the richness and diversity of microbial community also changed less. The main microorganisms involved in the degradation of lignin and cellulose in the sediment and water environment were Bacillus, Aspergillus and Cladosporium. In addition, a high proportion of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the sediment need to be considered. This study has initially established a monitoring and assessment system for environmental factors and disease-causing microorganisms of the Yangtze River Estuary No.2 shipwreck, laying a foundation for the subsequent scientific and systematic accumulation of basic data, which could then be used to assess and even predict the environmental microbial risk status of the Yangtze River Estuary No.2 shipwreck through statistical analysis and modeling.

Abstract:In recent years, systematic archaeobotanical work has been carried out at the Shangjing (Upper Capital) City of the Liao Dynasty, offering crucial data on subsistence and consumption patterns during the periods of minority regimes, such as the Liao and Jin Dynasties. Through flotation work, extremely rich plant remains were found at several sites of the Jin Dynasty at the Shangjing City, involving 11 species of crops and more than 50 species of non-crop remains. Especially in the ancient living area such as the “1st street (Yihao Jie)” of the Shangjing City, the discovery of plant remains was particularly prominent. The combination of crops showed a dry-land agricultural system based on multispecies but dominated by foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), while the non-crop remains contained a large number of possible livestock forage seeds, providing an important clue for the degree and scale of animal husbandry development. Exotic crops such as watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and flax (Linum usitatissimum) appeared at general residential sites, and the special preservation context of cannabis (Cannabis sativa) and grape (Vitis sp.) seeds also provided evidence for better understanding of their utilization. By the comparison with studies of plants of the same periods nearby, we could also trace the influences of site level, ethnic group and other factors on the local subsistence model and the crop selection.

Abstract:In our study, the chemical compositions and microscopic morphology of three glass beads of the late Warring States Period excavated from the Xinzhou Cemetery, Hunan Province, were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and 3D optical microscopy. The results show that these glass-bead samples could be divided into two types according to their chemical compositions, K₂O-CaO-SiO₂ and Na₂O-CaO-SiO₂, both of which were colored with Cu. Through a comparative study of glass beads excavated from other regions of the same period, it was believed that the M1:12 and M1:17 glass beads were made locally in China, and that the M1:18 glass bead was imported.

Abstract:The Yaoheyuan site, located in Pengyang County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was the capital of a feudal state from the early Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period. The site covers an area of 920 000 m², where city walls, moats, palace foundations, bronze casting workshops, and elites’ burials have been excavated since 2017. In addition, more than 150 oracle bone inscription characters have been found, documenting important historic events. The excavation of the Yaoheyuan site provides critical evidence to study the political landscapes of Western Zhou states, the relationship between the Zhou Dynasty and its northwestern neighbors, and the city layouts and cemeteries of feudal states in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Some red powders were found at 38 burials of Yaoheyuan. The practice of spreading red powder at the bottom of burials has attracted scholar’s attention in recent years. Based on previous analytical results, those red powders are either red ochre or cinnabar, both of which were important mineral pigments in ancient China. Due to its scarcity, cinnabar carried special cultural and symbolic meanings, and gradually became an important part of mortuary rituals during the Bronze Age. Identifying the red powders at Yaoheyuan as red ochre or cinnabar and further exploring its provenance can shed light on the social and economic networks during the Western Zhou Dynasty. In this study, we carried out Raman spectrometry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) on 25 red powder samples from 20 burials of Yaoheyuan. On one hand, even though Raman spectrometry is quick and easy to do, it is sometimes affected by fluorescence generated by samples; hence, it does not apply to all cases. On the other hand, XRD analysis can complement and accurately identify compositions. According to the results, most of the red powder samples were identified as cinnabar, only Sample PYN03 from Burial M4 was identified as red ochre. Based on the XRD result, we found that the cinnabar and red ochre samples were mixed with quartz, calcite, kaolinite, and muscovite, which were all likely derived from the burial context.  Previous studies suggested that cinnabar samples coming from different mines could have different sulfur isotope values. To further identify the provenance of cinnabar samples of Yaoheyuan, we selected four samples (PYN04, PYN06, PYN08 and PYN10) which were the purest among all for sulfur isotope analysis. Admitting that a few soil particles were possibly mixed into the cinnabar samples, as indicated by XRD results, we believe those minor contaminants should not have an observable impact on the sulfur isotope values of cinnabar samples because of the very low concentrations of sulfur in soils.  The sulfur isotope analysis result shows that all the cinnabar samples from Yaoheyuan had sulfur isotope values between 19‰-20‰, suggesting they were likely of the same origin. Not many sulfur isotope analysis results of archaeological cinnabar samples have been published, and most of the reported sulfur isotope values were around 20‰, with only one sample from the Yejiashan site in Suizhou, Hubei Province had an extremely low sulfur isotope value of -5.5‰. By comparing archaeological samples to those of modern mines, we could see that most of the archaeological samples might come from Southwestern China, including Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and Yunnan Provinces. Because there are large overlaps in sulfur isotope values among different modern mines, also there are large variations in sulfur isotope values within each mine, it is usually hard to pinpoint which mine the samples are derived from. Next, we examined archaeological cinnabar samples that have published sulfur isotope values by time-period. There were only four samples dated to the Shang Dynasty (from the Yinxu site in Anyang, Henan Province, and the Daxinzhuang site in Jinan, Shandong Province), and there were significant variations among those samples (ranging from 15‰-28‰). More samples were dated to the Zhou Dynasty, most of which had sulfur isotope values between 19‰-21‰, including Yaoheyuan. Those cinnabar samples potentially have the same provenance; however, as discussed earlier, many mines in Southwestern China have overlapping values, so those cinnabar samples may also come from different mines. Analyzing more samples and applying more analytical methods (such as mercury isotope) in the future will be helpful in validating current observations. In addition, getting more samples from modern mines and even archaeological ones will be essential to confirm the exact origins of archaeological cinnabar samples. The use of cinnabar in mortuary rituals had become quite standardized during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties—cinnabar is routinely found on the floor of elaborate burials. However, people may still use red ochre instead of cinnabar in some cases, such as what we found at the Yaoheyuan site and previously at the Dahekou site. Those are interesting cases for the further discussions about the social context of the use of cinnabar or red ochre. It is important to systematically examine the red powders found at archaeological sites in the future, and they cannot simply be assumed as cinnabar.

Abstract:In this study, iso-triadecanol polyoxyethylene ether (TO-8) was used as the cleaning agent for oil stains on paper archives. TO-8 aqueous solutions with different mass fractions were prepared, and simulated oil-stained paper samples were cleaned with the help of a handheld ultrasound permeameter. A whiteness meter, an infrared spectrometer, a non-contact spectrophotometer, a scanning electron microscope and a video optical contact angle tester were used to characterize the cleaning effect of TO-8 on oil stains on paper archives. A universal material testing machine, a softness meter and a pH meter were used to characterize the effect of TO-8 on paper properties. In addition, a TG/DTG thermal analyzer was used to characterize the effect of TO-8 on the thermal stability of paper. The results show that the TO-8 aqueous solution with a mass fraction of 1.5% had the best effect on cleaning oil stains. For the paper samples, after the cleaning with TO-8, the tensile strength decreased, the softness increased, the pH remained weakly alkaline, and the thermal stability did not change.

Abstract:i>Siku Quanshu is the largest cultural project in ancient China and also belongs to the precious cultural heritage of all mankind, having important literary and cultural relic value. The paper used for its writing was clearly recorded in the Qing Palace archives, but so far no one has analyzed the real paper samples using scientific methods. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis on a paper sample from the Wenjin Pavilion’s Siku Quanshu version of Nanxun Shengdian from the “Okura Collection” of Peking University Library, using various scientific methods. These included optical microscopy (OM), fiber dyeing analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), micro computed tomography (micro-CT), micro X-ray diffraction (micro-XRD), and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR). The aim of this study is to explore the morphology, fiber composition, chemical composition, and structure of this Siku Quanshu paper sample in order to confirm the type of paper and explore its processing techniques, which could reveal the scientific value of the paper and lay a foundation for the better preservation of these books. In addition, the famous “Jinxian Bangzhi” in Chinese papermaking history was also explored. The results of OM and SEM show that both sides of the paper were the same in microstructure, and there were white granular filler materials between the fibers. The result of micro-CT show that the paper had a single layer and the filler material was irregularly distributed inside the paper rather than just aggregated on its surface. Through the fiber analysis, it could be confirmed that the fiber composition of the paper was wingceltis bark and rice straw fibers, thus proving that the paper sample belonged to Xuan paper. According to the SEM-EDS result, the main elemental components of the paper were C, O, Si, S and Ca, and the distribution of S and Ca had a high consistency with the filler area, indicating that S and Ca might be the main elements of the filler. By using micro-XRD, the main components of the paper were confirmed to be cellulose and gypsum, with a small amount of calcium oxalate crystals and quartz crystals. Cellulose is the main component of plant fibers, calcium oxalate crystals are an ergastic substance of wingceltis bark fibers, and quartz should come from the epidermal cells of rice straws, so the main component of the filler material should be gypsum. The ATR-FTIR analysis result also confirmed that the compositions of both sides of the paper sample were all the same—including cellulose, gypsum, and a small amount of calcium oxalate. The micro-XRD and ATR-FTIR results were consistent with each other. Therefore, it could be determined that gypsum was the main component of the filler material between fibers. The papermaking processes of this sample are also discussed in the article. Based on the distribution status of gypsum and the technical history of papermaking, it could be speculated that the gypsum was more likely to be added to the pulp. However, it is also possible that the gypsum was converted from calcium carbonate in the paper. Based on the above results, it is concluded that the paper used for Wenjin Pavilion’s Siku Quanshu version of Nanxun Shengdian from the “Okura Collection” is single-layer Xuan paper made from wingceltis bark and rice straw fibers with gypsum randomly distributed on the surface and inside of the paper. It is speculated that the gypsum may have been added to the pulp or converted from calcium carbonate in the paper. The results also confirm that the “Jinxian Bangzhi” mentioned in the literature is Xuan paper based on conclusive evidence. Given that the fiber materials of this paper sample are different from those made from pure wingceltis bark fibers in previous studies, it is speculated that the “Jinxian Bangzhi” should be a general term for certain specific types of Xuan paper, which involves different raw materials and processes. Due to the long completion time of Siku Quanshu, there may be some differences in different batches of paper used for writing. If we want to know whether all the paper used for the Siku Quanshu stored in the Northern Four Pavilions belongs to this kind of Xuan paper, it is necessary to systematically analyze and compare more paper samples.

Abstract:In order to make clear the tree species of wood used for the Manjusri Bodhisattva statue in the collection of Dali Museum, wood anatomy and DNA barcoding technologies were used for comparison and identification. The result of anatomical comparison shows that the microstructural characteristics of the wood used for the Manjusri Bodhisattva statue were similar to those of the Cinnamomum glanduliferum specimen, and the main cell morphological characteristics were not significantly different from those of Cinnamomum glanduliferum, so it could be preliminarily determined that the tree species of wood used for the statue belonged to the genus, Lauraceae Cinnamomum, but it could not be identified as Cinnamomum glanduliferum. Therefore, further identification was carried out using DNA barcoding. The result of DNA barcode comparison shows that among the five DNA barcodes used for the comparison between the Manjusri Bodhisattva statue and the Cinnamomum glanduliferum specimen, rpoC1, rbcL and matK had low resolutions and could only identify the samples to the genus level, but trnH-GUG and psbA-trnH had high resolutions and could identify the samples as being Cinnamomum glanduliferum. The result of neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic analysis shows that the two wood samples and the selected Lauraceae tree species could be accurately clustered. The DNA barcoding technology could achieve rapid and accurate identification of the tree species of wood used for the Manjusri Bodhisattva statue in the collection of Dali Museum.

Abstract:The archaeological fabric fragments excavated from the Haiqu Han Tombs in Rizhao are invaluable Han Dynasty items of textile heritage in Shandong, and also precious physical materials of earlier age silk fabrics throughout the entire Shandong region. The lacquering technique is one of the extraordinary traditional crafts in China and is also a unique and prevalent fabric finishing technique in ancient times. In the Han Dynasties, lacquering was often used in the process of making crowns and shoes in order to achieve an equivalent purpose as the modern finishing technique, that is, to functionally modify textiles, to make silk fabrics stiff, firm and waterproof. The black network-structure fragments were investigated using several analytical methods such as ultra depth-of-field microscopic observation, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy-energy spectrometry, and laser Raman spectrometry. The excavated fragment materials were thus identified as follows: the inner core yarn was mulberry silk, with lacquer decorated outside. Cinnabar, etc. were also added to the lacquer part as color components. Specifically, according to the Raman spectrometric result, albite was present as one of the additives into the lacquer ash layer. Based on the distribution of shell midden sites in the Jiaodong Peninsula, where the Haiqu Han Tombs are located, we speculated that some components of the lacquer ash layer in the lacquered gauze might come from the use of shell in the rich remains of shell midden sites. Although relevant research has currently been less developed in the field of marine archaeology and marine regional archaeology, this study provides unique value in tracing the usage of natural materials and exploring regional crafts in the early period of human beings.

Abstract:The study on the permeability of lacquer film using a scientific and feasible testing method is significant for exploring the formation mechanism of waterlogged lacquer relics and the principle of their protective filling process. To study the permeability of natural lacquer film in the aqueous solution, the variation of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution with time, of samples prepared on iron substrates coated with three kinds of natural lacquer was investigated. The result shows that the lacquer film capacitance increased at extended time, until it reached an equilibrium value. The capacitance of each film decreased with the increase of layer number, and the soakage and penetration time increased with the increase of film thickness.

Abstract:To investigate the physical and mechanical properties of Qin Terracotta Warriors, we took specimens from some intact fragments of a terracotta warrior’s robe and carried out systematic microscopic and macroscopic tests on them. Using X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion and scanning electron microscopy, the microscopic morphology of the surface was observed, and the pore structure parameters and mineral contents were determined. It was found that the specimens had a porphyritic texture, the mineral of the ground mass was illite (hydromica) and the minerals of phenocryst included potassium feldspar (or albite), plagioclase, pyrite and quartz, and many micropores were contained and the porosity was very high. Through the wave velocity, uniaxial compression, Brazilian and direct shear tests, the mechanical properties were obtained, including longitudinal and transverse wave velocities, dynamic elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus, uniaxial compression strength, tensile strength and shear strength parameters (cohesion and internal friction angle). The deformation and failure modes of the specimens revealed that Qin Terracotta Warrior fragments were typical quasi-brittle materials with the ratio of compressive strength to tensile strength being 5.21, and their density, longitudinal or transverse wave velocities were very close to those of conglomerate. Compared with the gray specimens, the brown specimens were denser, and their Young’s modulus and uniaxial compression strength were much higher. The results could provide basic data for the detailed quantitative research on the overall structural safety, stability and seismic protection of Qin Terracotta Warriors.

Abstract:Smoke damage to murals presents significant challenges to related research, and conducting in-depth studies on smoke damage is of great importance for mural conservation. In this study, by combining infrared photography with micro-area XRF surface scanning, we investigated smoke-damaged murals in the Kalachakra Temple of the Potala Palace. The obtained data not only revealed the content, style, painting school, and inscriptions of the murals obscured by soot, but also simultaneously displayed the pigment element distribution of the covered areas. The combined results of these two methods could provide valuable data support for the study, conservation, condition assessment, and restoration of smoke-damaged murals, offering important reference for uncovering the cultural and historical value of murals.

Abstract:The deterioration of silicate cultural heritage caused by the salt damage is a difficult problem for cultural heritage conservation. It is more difficult to study the relationship between rock alteration behavior due to brine solution erosion and rock microstructural change. Mineral automatic quantitative analysis (TIMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry were carried out on sand and gravel blocks collected from the cliff of Mogao Grottoes. It was found that the sodium and potassium feldspar components in the tested rock block underwent phase alteration to kaolinite after the freeze-thaw cycle in the brine solution, with the rock block fractured. The ion exchange and substitution in brine solutions were the main causes of rock alteration in the process of freeze-thaw cycle. The alterations of calcite, dolomite and chlorite were manifested as phase dissolution and reconstruction, and quartz had partial lattice distortion. The mineral composition of conglomerate is transformed and reconstructed by the change of external environment. Moreover, the change of cliff microstructure leads to the deterioration of its mechanical properties, resulting in cliff instability and cracks, which are the main reasons for the bottom cutting and collapse of site base.

Abstract:The Huangchengtai retaining wall is an important part of Shimao Huangchengtai and the key to ensuring the safety of Huangchengtai. At present, the mortar joint material used for the retaining wall is seriously weathered and has a certain inclination deformation, so it is urgent to evaluate its stability. Through a theoretical analysis, a formula suitable for calculating the stability of the retaining wall of Huangchengtai was derived. The accuracy and applicability of the formula were verified by laboratory tests. The influences of the ratio of height to width, the mortar joint strength and the vertical external load on the stability of the retaining wall were analyzed. The results show that the retaining wall was a gravity retaining wall with a loose interior, and that there were two types of failure: sliding and overturning along the internal cracks. The overturning angle was related to many factors, such as the wall height and mortar joint strength. When the mortar joint strengths were the same, the stability coefficient at the bottom of the retaining wall was the smallest—the most prone to overturning. The stability of the retaining wall decreased with the increase of height-width ratio and vertical external load, and with the decrease of mortar joint strength. This study could provide a scientific basis for the stability assessment and reinforcement of the retaining wall of Shimao Huangchengtai.

Abstract:The mounting technology for the conservation of calligraphy and painting relics are used in both China and Japan, and paper is one of the main materials. The main paper used for traditional calligraphy and painting relics in China is rice paper, whereas the restoration papers used in Japan include Mino paper, Uto paper, and Misu paper. In this study, the raw materials, physical properties, microstructures, and chemical compositions of six types of restoration papers from China and Japan were compared. The result show that 1) the main components of rice paper were green sandalwood bark and straw, whereas the fibers of the three types of Japanese restoration papers were paper mulberry bark; 2) the rice paper has smaller vertical-horizontal differences in mechanical strength than the Japanese papers, but the latter feature better strength; 3) all the six types of papers met the requirements for safe contact with cultural relics. Both Chinese and Japanese restoration papers have their own characteristics, and the rich variety of Japanese restoration papers could provide certain reference for the customization of restoration papers in China.

Abstract:Several animal oils commonly used as lighting fuels in early ancient China include mutton tallow, beef tallow and lard. Of course, wax was also one of the ancient lighting fuels. It was not until the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties that the use of vegetable-oil lighting fuels in ancient China began to gradually increase. Affected by the natural conditions of various places, the varieties of oil crops suitable for planting in different regions of China are also different. Oil crops have certain regularity and stability in regional distribution, directly affecting the planting structure and oil consumption in most parts of China. The analysis of lighting fuels is one of the methods to research the oil used in the past and provides important reference for crop planting in ancient China. The lighting fuels used in ancient times were organic materials, not easy to preserve. Therefore, scientific analysis and understanding the trace organic residues is a big challenge. Nevertheless, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and thermally assisted hydrolysis-methylation pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (THM-Py-GC/MS) techniques have great advantages for the analysis of trace organic residues, and provide important technical support for the extraction and identification of unearthed organic mixtures. In this work, FTIR and THM-Py-GC/MS were used for the scientific analysis of trace organic residues in a porcelain lamp excavated from Tomb M8 in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province. Py-GC/MS were carried out with a pyrolyzer EGA/PY-3030D (Frontier Lab, Japan) attached to a GC/MS instrument (Agilent, America). The pyrolyzer furnace temperature was set at 600℃, and those of the injector and the interface were set at 280℃. The samples were held in the furnace for 6 s to achieve complete pyrolysis. The initial chromatographic temperature was 50℃ and held for 5 min, and the temperature was then increased at 10℃/min to 280℃ and held for 10 min. The carrier gas was helium, and the split ratio was 1∶5. The electron ionization voltage of the mass spectrometer was 70 eV. The temperatures of the ion source and the quadrupole were 230℃ and 150℃, respectively. The mass data was collected from 50 to 750 (m/z) with a scan time of 0.5 s. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) was used to convert the fatty acids and alcohols into homologous methyl esters and methyl ethers, respectively. The NIST17 Library was used to identify the compounds. The normalized areas were used to evaluate the peaks. The results show that the main components of the residue were saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, fatty alcohols, hydrocarbons, etc. Azelaic acid—the marker in lamp-fueled drying oil, and cholesterol—the marker in lamp-fueled animal fat, were detected, respectively. In combination with the previous research results and comparison reference materials such as animal fat, plant oil and wax, it was found that the residue in the lamp was a mixture of linseed oil, mutton tallow and beewax. In the previous studies, the lighting fuel in a lamp mainly had one or two components, and cases of the simultaneous existence of three mixtures have not been reported. Py-GC/MS enables the analysis of trace organic residues. Also, the scientific analysis of porcelain lamp residues provides important information for the study of lighting fuels in northern Shanxi of ancient China.

Abstract:The Nanshan defense line of the Ming Great Wall in Yanqing of Beijing and Huailai of Hebei was a significant defense facility guarding the Thirteen Ming Tombs. Previous satellite images revealed the addition of three parallel trenches in a special form along parts of the Nanshan defense line. With the application of remote sensing techniques such as imagery registration, drone photography and 3D reconstruction, the distribution of trenches could be mapped with high precision and the digital elevation maps of local trenches could be generated. The trenches are mainly distributed on the plain north of the mountain, controlling runoff outlets and major river valleys, and improving the defense function of the Great Wall defense line by increasing the overcoming difficulty. The three additional trenches in a special form outside the Great Wall were built as a defense facility to guard the important strategic position for the Thirteen Ming Tombs.

Abstract:An ivory bracelet of the Northern Song Dynasty was unearthed from the pagoda basement of Zhenru Temple in Xiaozhi, Linhai. It is a Buddhist oblation with fine craftsmanship and clear dating, having important historical value. This study aimed to explore the conservation and restoration strategies for the ivory bracelet. The bracelet was in a broken state when unearthed, and the existing fragments and mace-shaped column cores faced several problems such as surface stains, loose texture, fractures and texture changes. Through the analysis of material morphology and elemental composition of the bracelet, it was confirmed that its material was ivory. A conservation and restoration process was then proposed, which included cleaning, reinforcement and bonding. The appearance of the restored bracelet has been basically recovered, and its historical, scientific and artistic value presented has been retained to the maximum degree, providing important physical information for studying and exhibiting the historical culture of Linhai in the Song Dynasties and the ivory bracelet craftsmanship from the Northern Song Dynasty.

Abstract:Tomb murals are an important part of cultural heritage in China. It is very urgent and necessary to record the color information of murals accurately and effectively by digital measures in the first place before the intervention of a tomb site. However, due to the deviation of the output frequency (color) of the light source and the characteristics of the photosensitive elements (CCD camera, etc.) used in the image acquisition system, the problem of high-fidelity reproduction of image colors has always been a key factor restricting the establishment of accurate digital archives of tomb murals. With the aim of solving this problem, the Western Han mural tomb at Xi’an Jiaotong University was used as an example to discuss the difficulties and key technologies in the process of color correction of the mural images collected from the fully enclosed tomb murals under a single light source. In view of the low accuracy of color correction of mural images caused by the limited collection conditions of tomb murals and the low quality of collected images, a complete color correction solution based on the 3D-look-up table algorithm is proposed. The trials show that the method improved the accuracy of color correction. This study duplicated the original features of murals with a high-resolution and high-fidelity result, which makes sense to the conservation, sharing, research and utilization of tomb murals and other cultural heritage objects.