Characterization of a 13th-century Tibetan birch bark manuscripts: investigating utilization and craftmanship

doi:10.1038/s40494-025-01999-y

IVPP-IR

	Characterization of a 13th-century Tibetan birch bark manuscripts: investigating utilization and craftmanship
	Chen, Qingle 1,2; Tashi, Tsomo 3; Wang, Shan 4; Saerji 5; Yang, Yimin 2; Jiang, Hongen 2
	2025-09-29
发表期刊	NPJ HERITAGE SCIENCE
卷号	13 期号:1 页码:10
通讯作者	Jiang, Hongen(jianghongen@ucas.ac.cn)
摘要	Paper has become the world's predominant writing medium since its invention. However, non-paper writing materials have also played a significant role in human civilization, serving purposes beyond mere text transmission. Despite their importance, research about craftmanship and utilization of these alternative materials remain limited. In this study, we employed non-destructive and micro-destructive analytical techniques-including THM-Py-GC/MS, p-XRF, ATR-FTIR, and hyperspectral imaging (HIS) to examine fragments excavated from Taklung Monastery in Tibet. Results identified birch bark as the writing material and revealed that ink was prominently gold (Au). This discovery reports a rare case of the utilization of gold ink on birch bark, offering valuable insights into 13th-century Tibetan writing material production. Furthermore, HIS enabled text extraction from the fragments. Combined with the unique excavation context, we suggest that birch bark also possesses religious significance. This study enhances our understanding of the diverse applications of writing materials of ancient Tibet.
DOI	10.1038/s40494-025-01999-y
关键词[WOS]	BIO-OIL ; TRITERPENOIDS ; MINERALIZATION ; IDENTIFICATION ; LIGNIN ; FTIR ; GOLD
收录类别	SCI
语种	英语
资助项目	National Key Research and Development Program of China[2022YFF0903901]
项目资助者	National Key Research and Development Program of China
WOS研究方向	Arts & Humanities - Other Topics ; Chemistry ; Materials Science ; Spectroscopy
WOS类目	Humanities, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Analytical ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Spectroscopy
WOS记录号	WOS:001584951500001
出版者	SPRINGER
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.205/handle/311034/24965
专题	中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所
通讯作者	Jiang, Hongen
作者单位	1.Chinese Acad Sci, Key Lab Vertebrate Evolut & Human Origins, Inst Vertebrate Paleontol & Paleoanthropol, Beijing, Peoples R China 2.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Dept Archaeol & Anthropol, Beijing, Peoples R China 3.Cultural Rel Preservat Inst, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomou, Peoples R China 4.China Acad Cultural Heritage, Beijing, Peoples R China 5.Peking Univ, Sch Foreign Languages, Beijing, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Chen, Qingle,Tashi, Tsomo,Wang, Shan,et al. Characterization of a 13th-century Tibetan birch bark manuscripts: investigating utilization and craftmanship[J]. NPJ HERITAGE SCIENCE,2025,13(1):10.
APA	Chen, Qingle,Tashi, Tsomo,Wang, Shan,Saerji,Yang, Yimin,&Jiang, Hongen.(2025).Characterization of a 13th-century Tibetan birch bark manuscripts: investigating utilization and craftmanship.NPJ HERITAGE SCIENCE,13(1),10.
MLA	Chen, Qingle,et al."Characterization of a 13th-century Tibetan birch bark manuscripts: investigating utilization and craftmanship".NPJ HERITAGE SCIENCE 13.1(2025):10.