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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
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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

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References

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