Is Cross‐Section Shape a Distinct Feature in Plant Fibre Identification?

Correct identification of textile fibres is an important issue in archaeology because the use of different materials can yield crucial information about the society that produced the textiles. Textiles made of plant and animal fibres can normally be easily distinguished, but to distinguish between different types of plant fibres, in particular different types of bast fibres, is difficult. Some years back it was shown that the features fibre diameter, lumen diameter, dislocation (nodes), and cross markings cannot be used on their own to distinguish between the typical bast fibres used for textiles in ancient Europe: flax, hemp, and nettle. Particularly not when only a few fibres are available for an examination so that statistical analysis is not possible, as is often the case in archaeology. The last two characterization features typically used to distinguish between bast fibres are cross‐section shape and lumen shape. In this paper, we present a study of retted and unretted fibres (in the stem) of flax, nettle, and hemp, and show that also cross‐section shape and lumen shape cannot be used as distinguishing features on their own.     

Identification of ancient textiles from Yingpan,Xinjiang, by multiple analytical techniques

Various extraordinary textiles were excavated from a graveyard at Yingpan, Xinjiang, on the middle route of the ancient Silk Road. Applications of western motifs and designs to traditional Chinese textiles led to the emergence of compound woven textiles with central Asian characters. For a better understanding of the cultural exchanges and textile trade between the West and the East in ancient times, identifications of archaeological fibres and dyes were carried out for various funerary textile objects by using multiple analytical techniques, such as high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode detection, optical microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Fibre identifications were performed for 35 archaeological textile samples, and the results showed that the ancient textiles were mostly made from Bombyx mori silk and wool. The SEM and FT-IR experimental results revealed that these ancient textiles remained morphologically intact due to the special (very dry) climate in Xinjiang, but noticeably degraded at the molecular level due to long time thermo-ageing and/or biodegradation. The principal colouring matters, such as alizarin, purpurin, indigotin and luteolin, were respectively characterised for nine archaeological textile samples. The yellow dyestuffs derived from luteolin-based plants were assumed to have been imported to China from the Middle East and Western Asia through the Silk Road.     

河北定州商墓出土玉器光学无损分析

为充分获取河北定州商墓出土玉器的物质信息,利用X射线荧光光谱分析(XRF)、X射线衍射分析(XRD)、激光拉曼光谱分析(Raman)等无损光学技术手段对玉器进行科学分析。获得玉器成分、矿相和结构等信息,研讨其质地和来源。从而探究先民的玉料来源、制玉技术、文化发展与文明互动交流诸方面问题。进一步探讨当时的生产力、社会发展水平,经济组织形态以及拥有这批玉器的人群在当时背景下的发展程度。研究结果对进一步研究河北地区的商代社会有参考价值。     

“降阶法”在明清御窑厂遗址出土官窑瓷器保护与修复上的应用

本研究通过分析我国陶瓷类文物的传统修复技法,阐述了在明清御窑厂遗址出土瓷器保护修复项目实施过程中,针对出土器物有破损缺失、研究展示价值极高等特点,借鉴西方“可识别”的文物修复理念,创新使用了在填补层次、仿真釉色、绘画色彩三个方面,做适当降低原基调处理的“降阶法”修复方式,并以明清御窑厂遗址出土的两件明代官窑瓷器修复为例,详述了“降阶法”修复的实施过程与成果。该研究结果可为该技法在我国陶瓷类文物保护与修复工作中的推广提供示范作用。     

一种用于纺织品保护领域的便携式绕网设备

为提供一种用于纺织品保护的便携式绕网机,以绕网机为研究对象,通过查阅文献,梳理了绕网机的发展源流与技术特征,按照传动方式分类可分为手动绕网机、电动绕网机,按照机械结构可分为立式绕网机、卧式绕网机。早期绕网机受技术条件制约,机械结构复杂,编织精度低、质量较重,不便于携带,制约了其使用环境。本研究采用三维建模技术对其绕网机的结构进行设计,结合机械力学原理,对机械材料进行优化配置,设计一种具有操作简便、编织精度高、运行稳定、移动携带便捷等优点绕网设备,以应对复杂条件下纺织品文物保护的需要。     

古代织物的斜面平台清洗与装匣保护

对较常用的古代丝织物托网清洗方法进行了改进,采用斜面平台法对织物进行清洗。在清洗过程中采用低浓度表面活性剂,并在有隔膜及吸水纸保护状态下对织物进行熨烫。利用复合三合板作为底衬,聚脂薄膜覆面,然后将织物装入带玻璃盖的木匣中保存。这样,既有效地保护了织物,同时又利于展览与收藏。该方法使用简单,效果良好,是古代织物保护的有效方法之一。     

Made in Italy (by the Chinese): migration and the rebirth of textiles and apparel

People around the world are on the move and settling in new, unexpected places. In Prato, Italy, Chinese immigrants now run most of the city's textiles-apparel companies and even subcontract for such leading designers as Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. Italian products once made by Italian workers are now increasingly made by the Chinese! I argue that this development resulted from dramatic macro-level policy shifts that created an opportunity for an uncanny synchronicity between the Chinese business approach and the demands of Italy's local, family-based, small-batch production environment. Despite fierce competition, outmoded policies and social friction, the Chinese have adapted to their new home and made significant contributions to an increasingly multiethnic and multicultural Italy.     

Wools from textiles in the Mary Rose, a sixteenth-century English warship

Wool fibre diameter measurements defining fleece type are described for 25 yarns from fabric remains recovered from the 16th century wreck of the Mary Rose in Portsmouth harbour. Over half had natural grey pigmentation and nearly two-thirds were of primitive hairy medium wool.     

Wools from textiles in the Wasa, a seventeenth-century Swedish warship

Wool fibre measurements defining fleece type are described from cloth remains found in the seventeenth century wreck of the Wasa in Stockholm harbour. Half the fleeces were from the primitive type known as the hairy medium, and the remainder were distributed over the hairy, generalized medium and medium types, with a few short and fine types. The wools were similar to medieval Swedish wools, being coarser than Viking examples, but finer than the fleeces of living, primitive Swedish Goth breed.