A method for preparing wood for archaeometric research
By employing a method of gradient degradation treatment and microbial colonization to simulate the preparation of archaeological wood, the problem of significant differences between the simulated samples and real archaeological wood in existing technologies has been solved. This method achieves high-fidelity and controllable preparation of archaeological wood, meeting the needs of cultural relic protection research.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANJING FORESTRY UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing techniques for preparing archaeological wood replicas cannot simulate the microstructural gradient characteristics and long-term microbial metabolic activities of archaeological wood. This results in significant differences between the prepared samples and real archaeological wood, making it difficult to meet the needs of high-precision cultural relic protection research, while also consuming precious archaeological wood resources.
Through the synergistic effect of gradient degradation treatment, staged colonization of microorganisms, and environmental simulation, a simulated archaeological wood with continuous gradient changes in chemical composition and microstructure was prepared. The degradation process of archaeological wood was simulated by a combination of temperature, gas concentration gradient field, and microbial community.
It provides high-fidelity, controllable simulated archaeological wood samples that comply with cultural relic protection ethics, achieve sample standardization and mass production, and have chemical composition and microstructure that are closer to real archaeological wood.
Smart Images
Figure CN122232016A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of cultural relic preservation technology, and in particular to a method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic preservation research. Background Technology
[0002] Archaeological timber is an important source of material evidence for studying ancient civilizations, environmental evolution, and wood science. Timber buried underground for long periods undergoes complex deterioration under the influence of multiple physical, chemical, and biological factors, resulting in significant differences in its microstructure, chemical composition, and physical and mechanical properties compared to fresh timber. Effective preservation of archaeological timber presents a major challenge in the field of cultural relic protection.
[0003] In cultural relic conservation research, the selection and evaluation of conservation materials and techniques require a large number of experimental samples with properties similar to archaeological wood. Directly using real archaeological wood presents the following problems: First, archaeological wood resources are scarce and precious, and consuming large quantities for experimental research would damage cultural heritage; second, different types and degrees of deterioration of archaeological wood make it difficult to standardize and replicate experimental results.
[0004] Existing techniques for preparing simulated archaeological wood mostly employ single-agent soaking or hydrothermal reactions under specific temperature and pressure conditions. These methods result in a uniform and singular treatment process, failing to simulate the gradual degradation from the outside to the inside of archaeological wood, nor can they replicate the selective cell wall degradation and secondary mineral infilling caused by long-term microbial metabolic activity. Consequently, the resulting samples differ significantly from genuine archaeological wood, making it difficult to meet the demands of high-precision cultural relic preservation research. Summary of the Invention
[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved
[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention utilizes the synergistic effects of gradient degradation, phased colonization of microorganisms, and environmental simulation to prepare archaeological-like wood with continuous gradient changes in chemical composition and microstructure, providing a high-fidelity and controllable experimental sample for cultural relic protection research.
[0007] (II) Technical Solution
[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research, comprising:
[0009] S1. Timber selection and pretreatment: Select target timber, clean and dry it, and measure its initial physical properties.
[0010] S2. Gradient partition deterioration treatment: The pretreated wood is placed in a sealed treatment container, and a deterioration gradient field is constructed along the axial or radial direction of the wood. The deterioration gradient field is a temperature gradient field, a radiation gradient field, or a gas concentration gradient field, so that different regions of the wood form a structure with a gradual change in the degree of deterioration under the action of the deterioration gradient field, and an archaeological wood blank is obtained.
[0011] S3. Microbial colonization and metabolism: After the degradation gradient field is maintained or disappears, microbial communities with the ability to degrade cellulose, hemicellulose or lignin are introduced into the sealed treatment container, and the ambient temperature and humidity are controlled so that the microbial communities selectively colonize and metabolize in different degradation areas of the simulated archaeological wood embryo.
[0012] S4. Transitional environment simulation: After the microbial metabolic activity reaches a preset level, the temperature, humidity and gas composition in the sealed treatment container are periodically cyclically regulated. The periodic cyclic regulation includes at least 10 dry-wet alternation cycles and at least 10 redox alternation cycles.
[0013] S5. Stabilization and Termination Treatment: The wood is treated with gamma ray irradiation or ethylene oxide gas fumigation to terminate the biochemical processes inside the wood. The treated wood is then cleaned and dried to obtain the simulated archaeological wood.
[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the temperature gradient field in step S2 is achieved by setting a controllable heat source inside the sealed treatment container. The distance between the controllable heat source and one end of the wood is 20mm to 50mm, so that a temperature difference of 30°C to 80°C is formed between the two ends of the wood.
[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the gas concentration gradient field in step S2 is achieved by injecting corrosive gas or gaseous oxidant into the sealed processing container and controlling the unidirectional diffusion path of the gas.
[0016] As a preferred embodiment, the corrosive gas is sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, or ozone, the gaseous oxidant is oxygen or hydrogen peroxide vapor, and the concentration of the corrosive gas or gaseous oxidant is from 50 ppm to 500 ppm.
[0017] As a preferred embodiment, the microbial community in step S3 includes at least two of brown rot fungi, white rot fungi, and soft rot fungi, and the microbial community is introduced by a staged inoculation method. In the first stage, the first species is inoculated and cultured for 10 to 20 days, and in the second stage, the second species is inoculated.
[0018] As a preferred embodiment, the periodic cyclical regulation of temperature, humidity and gas composition in step S4 is specifically as follows: the temperature cyclically ranges from 5°C to 40°C, the relative humidity cyclically ranges from 30% to 95%, each cycle lasts from 24 hours to 72 hours, and the number of cycles is from 10 to 50; the regulation of gas composition is achieved by alternately introducing oxygen-containing gas and inert gas, and each gas composition alternation cycle is synchronized with the temperature and humidity cycle cycle.
[0019] As a preferred embodiment, step S4 further includes adding soil extract or mineral powder containing iron, calcium, and silicon to the sealed treatment container.
[0020] As a preferred embodiment, the irradiation dose of the γ-ray irradiation in step S5 is 10 kGy to 30 kGy, the treatment temperature of the ethylene oxide gas fumigation is 40°C to 60°C, and the treatment time is 6 hours to 24 hours.
[0021] (III) Beneficial Effects
[0022] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides a method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic conservation research, which has the following beneficial effects:
[0023] I. This invention employs a three-step synergistic process of gradient degradation treatment, staged colonization and metabolism of microorganisms, and transitional environment simulation to form a degradation gradient structure at the macroscopic level and reproduce the cell wall destruction and secondary mineral filling process caused by selective degradation by microorganisms at the microscopic level. The resulting replica sample is closer to real archaeological wood in terms of chemical composition, microstructure, and physical properties.
[0024] Second, this invention uses readily available new timber as raw material, without consuming precious authentic archaeological timber, thus conforming to the ethics of cultural relic protection. It also enables sample standardization and mass production. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the preparation method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0026] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of this invention, the following will further explain, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, a method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research.
[0027] Example 1
[0028] refer to Figure 1 The present invention discloses a method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research, comprising:
[0029] S1: Timber selection and pretreatment: Select target timber, clean and dry it, and measure its initial physical properties.
[0030] S2: Gradient partition deterioration treatment: The pretreated wood is placed in a sealed treatment container, and a deterioration gradient field is constructed along the axial or radial direction of the wood. The deterioration gradient field is a temperature gradient field, a radiation gradient field, or a gas concentration gradient field, so that different regions of the wood form a structure with a gradual change in the degree of deterioration under the action of the deterioration gradient field, and an archaeological wood blank is obtained.
[0031] Specifically, when a temperature gradient field is used, a controllable heat source is placed inside the sealed treatment container, with the distance between the controllable heat source and one end of the wood being 20mm to 50mm, creating a temperature difference of 30°C to 80°C between the two ends of the wood. When a gas concentration gradient field is used, a corrosive gas or gaseous oxidant is injected into the sealed treatment container, and the unidirectional diffusion path of the gas is controlled to form a concentration gradient. The corrosive gas is sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, or ozone, and the gaseous oxidant is oxygen or hydrogen peroxide vapor, with a concentration of 50ppm to 500ppm.
[0032] S3: Targeted colonization and metabolism of microorganisms: After the degradation gradient field is maintained or dissipated, microbial communities with the ability to degrade cellulose, hemicellulose or lignin are introduced into the sealed treatment container, and the ambient temperature and humidity are controlled so that the microbial communities selectively colonize and metabolize in different degradation areas of the simulated archaeological wood embryo.
[0033] The microbial community includes at least two of the following: brown rot fungi, white rot fungi, and soft rot fungi. It is introduced in a phased inoculation method: the first inoculation is with the first species, and after culturing for 10 to 20 days, the second inoculation is with the second species.
[0034] S4: Transitional environment simulation: After the microbial metabolic activity reaches a preset level, the temperature, humidity and gas composition in the sealed treatment container are periodically cyclically regulated. The periodic cyclic regulation includes at least 10 dry-wet alternation cycles and at least 10 redox alternation cycles.
[0035] Specifically, the temperature circulates within a range of 5°C to 40°C, and the relative humidity circulates within a range of 30% to 95%, with each cycle lasting 24 to 72 hours and the number of cycles ranging from 10 to 50. The gas composition is controlled by alternating the introduction of oxygen-containing gas and inert gas, with each gas composition alternation cycle synchronized with the temperature and humidity cycle. Additionally, soil extract or mineral powders containing iron, calcium, and silicon can be added to the sealed treatment container.
[0036] S5: Stabilization and Termination Treatment: The wood is treated with gamma-ray irradiation or ethylene oxide gas fumigation to terminate the internal biochemical processes. The treated wood is then cleaned and dried to obtain the simulated archaeological wood. The gamma-ray irradiation dose is 10 kGy to 30 kGy, the ethylene oxide gas fumigation temperature is 40°C to 60°C, and the treatment time is 6 hours to 24 hours.
[0037] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an archaeological-style wood, prepared using the above-described method. This archaeological-style wood exhibits a layered structure with a continuous gradient change in chemical composition, microstructure, mechanical strength, and color from the outside to the inside or from one end to the other. Specifically, the outer layer or end region of the archaeological-style wood has a relatively lower cellulose content of 30% to 70% compared to its inner layer or the other end region, and the cell walls of the outer layer or end region have a layered, peeling structure, with secondary mineral crystals contained within the cell cavities.
[0038] Example 2
[0039] This embodiment aims to prepare an archaeological wood sample that simulates long-term burial in an acidic soil environment and moderate degradation by microorganisms.
[0040] First, select Masson pine wood of similar growth age and without defects, and process it into samples with dimensions of 50mm (length) × 20mm (width) × 20mm (height). Place the samples in a 60°C oven to dry to constant weight, weigh and determine the basic density, and use a colorimeter to determine the initial color value.
[0041] The pretreated wood samples were then placed in a sealed quartz reactor. An infrared radiation heater was placed at one end of the reactor, 30 mm away from the sample end. A nitrogen mixture containing 200 ppm sulfur dioxide and 5% oxygen was introduced into the reactor to maintain a pressure of 1.1 atmospheres, with slow gas flow. The infrared radiation heater was then turned on, maintaining the surface temperature of the sample near the heat source at 80°C ± 5°C and the temperature away from the heat source at 30°C ± 5°C, creating an axial temperature gradient and a chemical corrosion gradient. The treatment lasted for 72 hours.
[0042] Heating and aeration were then stopped, allowing the reactor environment to return to room temperature. Spore suspensions of brown rot fungi and soft rot fungi were prepared. Using a microsyringe, the soft rot fungi spore suspension was evenly sprayed onto the middle section of the sample, while the brown rot fungi spore suspension was sprayed onto the severely deteriorated area near the heat source. The spraying amount was approximately 10 ml per square centimeter. 5 One spore. A sterile, moistened carrier was added to the reactor to maintain a relative humidity of 85% ± 5%, and the temperature was controlled at 28°C ± 2°C. After the first stage of cultivation for 15 days, a second stage of cultivation was carried out for 15 days, for a total of 30 days.
[0043] Next, remove the microbial culture carrier. Add 50 mL of sterilized acidic soil extract and 5 g of micron-sized goethite powder to the reactor. Start the environmental simulation module and perform 30 cycles. Each cycle is 48 hours: 0-24h temperature 35°C, relative humidity 95%, air introduced; 24-48h temperature 15°C, relative humidity 40%, nitrogen introduced.
[0044] Finally, the treated wood was removed from the reactor and rinsed with deionized water. It was then placed in a gamma-ray irradiation chamber and irradiated with a dose of 25 kGy. The wood was then air-dried in a fume hood and subsequently dried in a 40°C oven to constant weight.
[0045] This invention utilizes the synergistic effects of gradient degradation, staged colonization of microorganisms, and environmental simulation to prepare archaeological wood with continuous gradient changes in chemical composition and microstructure, providing a high-fidelity and controllable experimental sample for cultural relic protection research.
[0046] It is understood that the present invention has been described through some embodiments, and those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic preservation research, characterized in that, include: S1. Timber selection and pretreatment: Select target timber, clean and dry it, and measure its initial physical properties. S2. Gradient partition deterioration treatment: The pretreated wood is placed in a sealed treatment container, and a deterioration gradient field is constructed along the axial or radial direction of the wood. The deterioration gradient field is a temperature gradient field, a radiation gradient field, or a gas concentration gradient field, so that different regions of the wood form a structure with a gradual change in the degree of deterioration under the action of the deterioration gradient field, and an archaeological wood blank is obtained. S3. Microbial colonization and metabolism: After the degradation gradient field is maintained or disappears, microbial communities with the ability to degrade cellulose, hemicellulose or lignin are introduced into the sealed treatment container, and the ambient temperature and humidity are controlled so that the microbial communities selectively colonize and metabolize in different degradation areas of the simulated archaeological wood embryo. S4. Transitional environment simulation: After the microbial metabolic activity reaches a preset level, the temperature, humidity and gas composition in the sealed treatment container are periodically cyclically regulated. The periodic cyclic regulation includes at least 10 dry-wet alternation cycles and at least 10 redox alternation cycles. S5. Stabilization and Termination Treatment: The wood is treated with gamma ray irradiation or ethylene oxide gas fumigation to terminate the biochemical processes inside the wood. The treated wood is then cleaned and dried to obtain the simulated archaeological wood.
2. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature gradient field in step S2 is achieved by setting a controllable heat source inside the sealed treatment container. The distance between the controllable heat source and one end of the wood is 20mm to 50mm, so that a temperature difference of 30°C to 80°C is formed between the two ends of the wood.
3. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas concentration gradient field in step S2 is achieved by injecting corrosive gas or gaseous oxidant into the sealed processing container and controlling the unidirectional diffusion path of the gas.
4. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 3, characterized in that, The corrosive gas is sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, or ozone, the gaseous oxidant is oxygen or hydrogen peroxide vapor, and the concentration of the corrosive gas or gaseous oxidant is from 50 ppm to 500 ppm.
5. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microbial community mentioned in step S3 includes at least two of brown rot fungi, white rot fungi, and soft rot fungi, and the microbial community is introduced by a staged inoculation method. In the first stage, the first species is inoculated and cultured for 10 to 20 days, and in the second stage, the second species is inoculated.
6. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 1, characterized in that, The periodic cyclical regulation of temperature, humidity, and gas composition in step S4 is specifically as follows: the temperature cyclically ranges from 5°C to 40°C, the relative humidity cyclically ranges from 30% to 95%, each cycle lasts from 24 hours to 72 hours, and the number of cycles is from 10 to 50; the regulation of gas composition is achieved by alternately introducing oxygen-containing gas and inert gas, and each gas composition alternation cycle is synchronized with the temperature and humidity cycle cycle.
7. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 1, characterized in that... Step S4 also includes adding soil extract or mineral powder containing iron, calcium, and silicon to the sealed treatment container.
8. The method for preparing imitation archaeological wood for cultural relic protection research according to claim 1, characterized in that, The irradiation dose of the gamma rays in step S5 is 10 kGy to 30 kGy, the treatment temperature of the ethylene oxide gas fumigation is 40°C to 60°C, and the treatment time is 6 hours to 24 hours.