When we get a thing that looks like an antique, our first reaction is often “Is it true?†I believe everyone who comes into the museum wants to understand the historical story behind the artifacts.
National Palace Museum, Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum... China has more than 4,000 museums and countless precious cultural relics. These artifacts are old and their preservation environment is also not the same. Their complexity makes the industry of identification and research of the cultural relics full of many unknown challenges.
What kinds of instruments are currently used in the field of cultural relics research? In view of the particularities of cultural relics, what are the special requirements for analytical means? And for these special requirements, what are the corresponding new and suitable analytical tools? A curiosity, instrument information network editors entered the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, interviewed the deputy director of the Department of Cultural Relics and Rehabilitation Department Xia Hao.
Xia Xie is deputy director of the Cultural Relics and Restoration Department of the Qin Shihuang Emperor’s Mausoleum, and the deputy director of the Key Research Base (Qinling Mausoleum) of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of Pottery Coloured Cultural Relics Protection, and a part-time postgraduate tutor for Northwest University, mainly engaged in the analysis and identification of painted and related cultural relics, etc. Scientific research work. Since taking part in the work, he has participated in the protection of a number of cultural relics of the Qinling and Qin dynasty; from 2004 to the present, he has focused on the analysis and research of pigments of the Qin dynasty and other painted cultural relics, and has covered nearly a thousand of the country’s 14 provinces and autonomous regions. The murals and painted artifacts were analyzed.
Cultural relics studies involve almost all analytical methods are non-destructive
For a long time, the study or identification of cultural relics depends entirely on people's eyes. People almost occupy decisive factors, but with the development of science and technology, more and more analytical methods can give more abundant information. Now, whether it is international or domestic, the use of scientific instruments for cultural relics identification is not new.
"A variety of analytical methods are applied in the field of cultural relics research." Xia Xia said, "The study of cultural relics is an applied science and requires a lot of analytical work, including many large-scale equipment. Although we cannot buy one by one, we have It will also be used in the actual research process."
Nowadays cultural analysis methods are divided into several major categories. Elemental analysis includes X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Structural analysis includes laser Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). ); There are morphological analysis, such as powder polarizing microscope (PLM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and so on.
Each kind of analysis has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, XRF is a more mature elemental analysis technique, but it cannot be used for structural analysis of substances; XRD is widely used in the qualitative analysis of cultural materials, but the required sample volume is large; PLM passes The crystal shape, color, and impurities of the sample particles are analyzed, but the structural information of the sample cannot be further analyzed...
“Although each analytical method has its own shortcomings, these analytical tools are complementary in the field of cultural relics research. Different analytical methods are mutually supportive. Therefore, the setup of the Wenbo unit laboratory has its own considerations. We hope to use The existing equipment gives a complete set of data information, such as first using a polarizing microscope, then using Raman, electron microscope..."
"Although various analytical methods are necessary, in view of the preciousness and indestructibility of cultural relics, the methods of cultural relics research have become more and more prone to non-destructive testing in recent years," Xia Yu introduced.
With the development of modern science and technology, many non-destructive spectroscopic techniques have been introduced into the field of cultural relics analysis and protection to obtain relevant information on the origin of the cultural relics, its manufacturing age, process and disease mechanism. "For example, Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive analysis method suitable for cultural studies."
Raman has unique advantages in the study of cultural relics
Raman spectroscopy is a method of molecular spectroscopy based on Raman scattering, and Raman is chosen by the cultural relics community. It is fancy to take advantage of its “uniquenessâ€â€”no damage. In addition, Raman spectrometers require less sample, have high spatial resolution and simple detection process, and are increasingly used in the field of cultural relics research.
According to reports, if the artifacts come from the archaeological site, the sample size is relatively large, but if it is a museum or the entire device, sampling is not allowed. In this case, the requirements for non-destructive obvious.
In the cultural heritage world, if the sample size is small, no visual damage to the artifacts can be considered as lossless or slightly damaged. And Raman's demand for the sample is very small, even a sample particle under the microscope can be experimented. According to Xia Jun, during the movement of the artifacts, the microscopic particles left on the white gloves can be collected under a microscope for Raman analysis, which is very suitable for the study of cultural relics, and the analysis process is also non-destructive to the samples. After the Raman analysis is done, it can also be collected for electron microscopy and other analysis.
It is understood that Xia Hao has been investigating the application of Raman spectroscopy in the field of cultural relics since 2006. In 2011, Renishaw's inVia Raman spectrometer was purchased. Raman has become one of the main analytical methods for its research.
In the absence of a Raman spectrometer, Xia Xi used a polarized light microscope in her laboratory. Why did he choose a Raman spectrometer? Xia Xi said, "With a polarized light microscope, there is no way to judge the molecular structure of a sample. Observing the copper and copper deposits under polarized light microscope, we can not distinguish the isomers of oxyborite and parachloro copper ore, but if you use Raman, you can give the results directly and succinctly.Of course, this Work can also be done with other analytical tools, but we will choose the method that suits us."
There are many brands of Raman spectroscopy. Why did you choose Renishaw's inVia Raman spectrometer? Xia Xin said, “The design of this instrument microscope and spectrometer is separate, and I can configure what I want on the microscope. It will not destroy the entire instrument system. At that time, other products were embedded or integrated and did not meet our requirements."
“Using Raman spectroscopy for color analysis is a deep level of research.†Xia Jin began his analysis of cultural relics (pigments) in 2003 and has achieved a series of research results, and has also made a lot of representations. work. For example, under a polarizing microscope, Chinese blue (BaCuSi4O10), Chinese violet (BaCuSi2O6) and BaCu2Si2O7 often co-exist in the sample. Due to the small amount, and sometimes even only 1-2 particles, it is difficult to separate them by analytical means. . And Xia Hao first discovered the dark blue phase of China using the inVia Raman spectrometer.
(Related: Development of Chinese barium copper silicate pigments during the Qin Empire based on Raman and polarized light microscopy studies. Journal of Archaeological Science 49 (2014) 500-509).
It is reported that Xia Xie is also conducting some new research work. They have already purchased fast scanning accessories and hope to get the relative percentage of pigments through a quick scan to make up for the “short board†of Raman's quantitative difficulties, and also avoid under the microscope. The "number grid" tedious work. In addition, they will also carry out research on Raman enhancement and other aspects in the future.
Industry application status: "We are just the primary user of the instrument"
“Actually, Raman spectroscopy was introduced into the field of cultural relics research more than 20 years ago. Although it was later in the country, it has a history of more than 10 years. Before that, although we did not purchase related instruments, it was already very early. Someone used it."
However, although the Raman spectrometer is not a very new instrument for cultural relics research from the entire industry, it is a relatively new analytical method for many people and even most people in this field. According to reports, there are now more than 4,000 museums in the country, and dozens of Raman spectrometers are currently equipped.
Xia Xi said, “We are not very professional, and the instrument infrastructure is not very good. Our proficiency is not as good as that of universities and scientific research institutes. At present, we are still only junior users of Raman, and they still use relatively elementary functions. Great room for improvement."
"Actually, not only Raman, but for electron microscopes, infrared, diffraction, and many other analytical means, we have only completed one basic function without any special depth." Xia Yu introduced, "This may have been a long time The history of the research is relevant. For a long time, cultural relic research relied on the eyes and experience, the instrumental foundation was relatively weak, and the relevant talents were relatively lacking. However, changes have been slowly occurring, such as the judgment of the Shaanxi Cultural Relics Identification Center. If not, we will ask for some reports. The more information we have, the more reliable the results will be."
Speaking of the requirements for instruments in the field of cultural relics research, Xia Xia said, “Actually, the resolution, accuracy, and other requirements of scientific research institutions relative to scientific research institutes are not particularly high. We are more concerned with selecting instruments that meet our working methods. equipment."
"For example, many years ago, when Raman was still a very large instrument, we couldn't even think about it. Even if we had money, we didn't dare to buy it. It was too professional. Now that the instrument is getting smaller, the operation is getting simpler and slower. Slow we can already operate. We hope that the degree of automation of the instrument is higher and higher, and it is easy for the user to operate."
Editor's notes:
Of the more than 4,000 Wenbo units, only dozens are equipped with Raman. According to this data ratio, the application of Raman in the field of cultural relics research is not yet very mature, but on the other hand, the market has great potential. of.
However, due to traditional experience in the field of cultural relics and relying on the eyes, the acceptance of new analytical techniques requires a long period of time, even a generation. The introduction and promotion of new analytical techniques require people who understand the technology to bring it into this field and require representative units and typical applications to radiate. For the application of Raman in cultural relics research units, there are now typical application units such as the Qinhuang Museum, the National Museum, and the Palace Museum. Some typical applications have also been made. Of course, this process may take 5-10 years, or even longer, to make a big progress.
Qinhuang Museum
Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is a national 5A class scenic spot. It is located in the east of Lincang District, 37 kilometers away from Xi'an. It leans against Shushan Mountain in the south and surpasses Surabaya in the north. It is a magnificent cultural relic protection unit and a world cultural heritage.
Founded in 1974, the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit was located 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum and was hailed as "the eighth wonder of the world" and "one of the great discoveries of archaeological history in the 20th century." The archeologists have conducted large-scale drilling and research for many years. This is a large-scale burial pit in China’s first feudal emperor Qin Shihuang’s cemetery. In 1975, the country decided to establish a museum on the site of the Yaokeng site. After more than four years of preparation, by the end of September 1979, the exhibition hall and partial auxiliary buildings at No. 1 Haokeng Site were completed. On October 1, the same year, they began to be displayed to visitors from home and abroad. At present, the main points of visit include the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Pits I, II, and III, the bronze chariot exhibition hall, and related temporary exhibitions.
(Full text source: Instrument Information Network)
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