Provenance Identification of the Inkslab Unearthed from Liangfu Gao’s Grave of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE) in Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Abstract In order to infer the provenance of ancient inkslab excavated from Liangfu Gao’s Grave of the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) in Chengdu, a multi-analytical approach, including polarizing microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the complete characterization of the ancient inkslab and the collected sample materials of this inkslab. The comparison of the results about mineral structure, major, trace and rare earth elements (REE) suggested that this unearthed inkslab of Song dynasty was Pu inkslab, which was famous in Pujiang County of Chengdu, and conjectured that its particular structure made it show the good inking performance. This work provided a reliable basis for the study of the historical and cultural inheritance of the Gao family, providing more direct evidence for the produce and development of the inkslab in the Song Dynasty.