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A large number of Southern Song dynasty costumes were unearthed from Huangsheng tomb in Fuzhou city, Fujian province. The unlined clothing was among the funeral objects, and made of the most common leno fabric, which was light and transparent, and the clothing was in extremely poor condition. To protect the unlined clothing, scientific evaluation and protection were carried out. Three‐dimensional microscopy was used to analyse the weave structure and X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) were used to analyse scientifically the printed gold and colour paint components of the unlined clothing. The results showed that the structure of the unlined clothing was a two‐warp twisted leno, the printed gold contained Au, Cu, Fe and other elements, the coloured paint contained Pb and Hg elements, and the binding material component of the coloured paint was type I collagen. Based on the results of the analysis, the silk fibroin consolidation method was used to improve resistance to the stress and strain caused by the needle–thread repair method, and the needle–thread repair method was then used to restore the original clothing shape. This study provides a new approach for the protection of fragile silk fabrics in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineralized textiles often unearthed along with metal objects, are textile residues in which the fibers are partially or completely replaced by minerals. Some textile fragments with intact fiber shapes but mineralization on the surface of a ring-shaped iron sword, had recently been found from Maoling Mausoleum in Shanxi province, China. In this study, three-dimension microscope, scanning electron microscope-energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Raman spectroscopy were used to observe the morphology of fiber and analyze the mineral element information, and two immunology testing techniques would be used to determine whether the textile fragments included the silk protein. The results showed that the hilt string imprint (sample A) was a twill braiding with cinnabar remaining on the surface and the blade textile imprint (sample B) was a tabby fabric, and these fibers were mineralized by iron ions to form a cavity structure. The morphology of sample B was similar to that of mulberry silk with a smooth surface and a triangular cross section. At the same time, silk protein was successfully detected in a few milligrams of sample B using fibroin polyclonal antibody by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence method (IFM). Thus, it can be inferred that the iron sword was covered or wrapped in silk at that time. This research provided a technical support for the identification of silk residues in mineralized textiles, which is of great significance for the study of early organic fabrics. • Mineralized samples were found on the surface of a ring-shaped iron sword. • Morphologies of mineralized fabrics were observed with microscopic techniques. • Silk protein was detected in mineralized sample using two immunological methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin and dissemination of silk have been hotly debated in the field of archaeology, and the key to resolving this controversy lies in the detection and species identification of ancient silk microtraces. Herein, a taxonomically specific anti-fibroin monoclonal antibody was successfully prepared and a layer-by-layer self assembly electrochemical immunosensor was innovatively proposed for detecting silk traces based on flexible carbon cloth. The immunosensor possessed a broad linear range of 10−2-103 ng mL−1 and a detection limit of 2.15 pg mL−1 for the ultrasensitive detection of Bombyx mori silk traces. In addition, the elaborate immunosensor exhibited satisfactory high specificity, storage stability and reproducibility. In particular, the qualitative and quantitative performance of the immunosensor was excellent in the analysis of archaeological samples. Therefore, this work demonstrates that the proposed method not only provides a reliable analytical tool for exploring the origin and spread of archaeological silk, but also improves our understanding of how to use emerging materials like two-dimensional titanium carbide to creat innovative biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]