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Biomass Spectrometry Identification of the Fibre Material in the Pall Imprint Excavated from Grave M1 , Peng‐state Cemetery, S hanxi, C hina
Author(s) -
Zhu Zhanyun,
Chen Huafeng,
Li Li,
Gong Decai,
Gao Xiang,
Yang Junchang,
Zhao Xichen,
Ji Kunzhang
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/arcm.12029
Subject(s) - fibroin , silk , biomass (ecology) , mass spectrometry , chemistry , archaeology , solid state , mineralogy , materials science , biology , chromatography , composite material , geography , ecology
In order to identify the fibre material of the pall imprint excavated from the Peng‐state cemetery in S hanxi, biomass spectrometry was applied to determine the amino acid sequences of the residual protein extracted from the soil underneath the imprint. The sequences were searched against a standard protein sequence database. A well‐preserved silk pall sample from the Warring States Period was used as a comparative template. The protein extracted is identified as silk fibroin ( B ombyx mori ). This finding indicates that the extremely degraded pall was made of silk and that the deceased in the Peng‐state cemetery enjoyed high social status. In this way, a novel methodology, which is very promising in uncovering the origin of silk, could be initiated.