Chemical evidence for the spread of lac colorant in Xinjiang from the 2nd to 9th centuries CE
Name
s40494-025-02116-9.pdf
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Size
2.45 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Zhao, Sihan
Zhang, Juan
Serrano, Ana
Tamburini, Diego
Kang, Xiaojing
Zhou, Zhibo
Gao, Yumin
Shen, Ling
Wang, Jiakun
Yang, Jie
Shi, Shaowen
Liu, Jian
Zhang, Hui
Date published
December 2025
Abstract
Lac dye, indigenous to South and Southeast Asia, is historically accepted to have entered Xinjiang during the Han Dynasty through trade routes established between India and China, and later from the 5th century CE, when Buddhist art started flourishing in the region. The dynamics of trade and colorant applications of lac in the region has been constrained by the limited availability of historical written sources, archeological materials, and scientific investigations. Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with photo diode array detection and mass spectrometry (UPLC-PDA-MS), this study explores the characterization of lac in a small group of archeological textiles, wall paintings, and painted sculptures, dated between the 2nd and 9th century CE. It aims to undertake a first attempt to historically trace the dissemination of the insect dye between India and Northwest China, and within the broader framework of trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Roads in the first millennium CE.
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
National Key Research and Development Program of China | 2019YFC1520300 |
Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 131C11KYSB20190035 |
National Social Science Fund of China | 19BKG045 |
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities | |
Journal title
npj Heritage Science
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
eISSN
3059-3220
Official URL
Keywords