Key Problem in Protecting the colourful Terra-cotta Warriors Resolved

Key Problem in Protecting the colourful Terra-cotta Warriors Resolved
Apr 12, 2004 16:46
SONY Points: Join Date: Apr 12, 2004 Status: offline	Chinese researchers said recently that they had found ways to preserve color of the terra-cotta warriors in the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor to unify China. For various reasons, most of the warriors and horses, colorfully painted at the time they were created, had lost their vivid colors when they were unearthed from the tomb. Researchers said that the lacquer on the terra-cotta warriors is highly sensitive to temperature changes, and the warriors suffered further from mildew and drying out when they were excavated from the damp earth, causing lacquer to shrink. Over 20 different reinforcing agents and 19 shrink-resistant materials have been tried and scientists have come up with a liquid mixture of polyurethane to protect the lacquer. Using an advanced technology for stabilizing the lacquer layer, several warriors painted in dark red or green were found to have remained in stable condition for many years. The scientists succeeded in protecting another several hundred warriors by using the same method. But today, the scientists are still faced with growing problems in keeping the soldiers' youthful looks, and they have been forced to scale back excavations, said Wu. Other problems threatening the warriors include ground water and the risk of earthquakes in an area that has already seen numerous large tremors in the past.

Apr 12, 2004 16:46

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Chinese researchers said recently that they had found ways to preserve color of the terra-cotta warriors in the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor to unify China.

For various reasons, most of the warriors and horses, colorfully painted at the time they were created, had lost their vivid colors when they were unearthed from the tomb.

Researchers said that the lacquer on the terra-cotta warriors is highly sensitive to temperature changes, and the warriors suffered further from mildew and drying out when they were excavated from the damp earth, causing lacquer to shrink.

Over 20 different reinforcing agents and 19 shrink-resistant materials have been tried and scientists have come up with a liquid mixture of polyurethane to protect the lacquer.

Using an advanced technology for stabilizing the lacquer layer, several warriors painted in dark red or green were found to have remained in stable condition for many years.

The scientists succeeded in protecting another several hundred warriors by using the same method.

But today, the scientists are still faced with growing problems in keeping the soldiers' youthful looks, and they have been forced to scale back excavations, said Wu.

Other problems threatening the warriors include ground water and the risk of earthquakes in an area that has already seen numerous large tremors in the past.

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