Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T02:15:24.490Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Research on the Corrosion of Bronze Weapons from the Pits of the Terracotta Warriors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2011

Xiaomei Zhang ,
Sixun Yuan ,
Yongqi Wu ,
Baofa Guo  and
Jing Han
Xiaomei Zhang
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Sixun Yuan
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Yongqi Wu
Affiliation:
Museum of the terra-cotta warriors and horses of Qin Shihuang, Xi’an 710600, China
Baofa Guo
Affiliation:
Museum of the terra-cotta warriors and horses of Qin Shihuang, Xi’an 710600, China
Jing Han
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Get access

Abstract

Large amounts of bronze weapons have been unearthed from the pits of the Terracotta Warriors. Though they are of the same period, their condition is quite different; some are slightly corroded; some have almost no corrosion with a gray-black or green-gray surface; some are badly corroded. ICP, XRD, SEM, EDX, XRF, AES and Metalloscope were employed on seven bronze weapons to investigate their composition, structure and differences between the surfaces and bulk metals. Results showed that all these bronze weapons are high-tin bronzes. The three bronze swords contain a higher tin content than the others and have undergone heat treatment, which gives them the necessary tenacity of weapons. The surface layers of the weapons are rich in tin in various degrees because of selective corrosion and the migration of copper ions during corrosion. Some objects are more corrosion-resistant by a quenching treatment and the formation of compact tin oxides.

Keywords

corrosionalloyCu
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1319: Symposium WW – Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology IX , 2011 , mrsf10-1319-ww05-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Zhang, T., The Unearthed Arms out of the Warrior Figure Pits of the Qin Dynasty, The Silk road, 7 (1), 20–24 (1999, In Chinese).Google Scholar
2. Han, R., Ma, Z., Wang, Z., and Ke, J., Research on the oxidation layer of arrowhead unearthed from the Pits of the Terracotta Warriors, Studies in the history of natural science; 2(4), 295–302 (1983, In Chinese).Google Scholar
3. Ma, Z., Black patina on ancient bronze mirrors resulted from Polyphenol, Archaeology, 36(11), 103–105 (1995, In Chinese).Google Scholar
4. Chase, W. T.; Ziebold, T. O., Ternary Representations of Ancient Chinese Bronze Compositions. Archaeological Chemistry—II, Advances in Chemistry, Vol. 171, American chemical society, Washington, DC, 302–304 (1978).Google Scholar
5. Tian, C., Brilliant Scintific Achievement of Chinese Ancient Bronze Casting by Using Modern Analysis, Journal of Sichuan University (Engineering Science Edition), 12(Z1):109–124 (1980, In Chinese).Google Scholar
6. Han, R., and Bunker, E. C., The study of ancient Ordos bronze with tin-enriched surface in China, Cultural Relics, 30(9), 80–96 (1993, In Chinese).Google Scholar
7. Chase, W. T., and Franklin, U. M., Early Chinese Black Mirror and Pattern-Etched Weapons, ARS ORIENTALS, 11, 215–258 (1979).Google Scholar
8. Dean, J. A., Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry, Science press, Beijing, 6(7)-6(9) (In Chinese1991).Google Scholar
9. Zhu, R., Metsal corrosion, Metallurgical Industry Press, Beijing, 289–300 (In Chinese1989).Google Scholar