Chapter 271: Hand-Filled?

The venue was very quiet; the Experts were staring at the screen in unison.

The ancients called porcelain "Rao Jade"; what is Rao Jade?

"Tao Ji" (Southern Song Dynasty): "White as jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper... sold elsewhere, hence the name 'Rao Jade'."

This refers to the Shadow Blue Porcelain of the Hutian Kiln.

But Jingdezhen has been researching it for over twenty years and reached a conclusion long ago: did the craftsmanship of Shadow Blue Porcelain go extinct after the Southern Song Dynasty?

Yet suddenly, in Hejin—a place many people don't even know the location of—a successor craft for Shadow Blue Porcelain appeared, and four kiln sites from the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties were surveyed in succession?

It is truly a bit hard to accept.

First, it is too sudden: for any major archaeological discovery, from the central government down to the local level, all media outlets scramble to report it.

Only after enough hype is built, enough attention is grabbed, and sufficient sensational effect and influence are generated will the relevant units organize subsequent excavation work. As for tracing the craftsmanship, that requires waiting until the site is excavated before making a plan.

But this Hejin Kiln, silent and obscure, just popped up out of nowhere?

Second is the time: for a standard site, the survey and excavation cycle is at least measured in years—one or two years on the short side, three to five years on the long side.

The research cycle is even longer: for example, the aforementioned Hutian Kiln has been studied for over twenty years since the early eighties, and research is still ongoing.

And how long did this kid on stage take?

Four months from start to finish: including collecting Cultural Relics, surveying kiln sites, identification and testing, analysis and assaying, and verification of craftsmanship and techniques.

It means that before the kiln site was even excavated, he had already finished the exploration of the origin and evolution of the craftsmanship, and even achieved breakthrough results?

The key is: from start to finish, it only took three months to find four kilns?

Oh no... five, including a Upward Firing Culture site dating back about five thousand years, which not only included two Pottery Kilns but also unearthed two Pottery Carved Silkworm Pupae, the first of their kind discovered in the country.

Look again at the survey report on the screen: all five kiln sites were buried under the cultural layer, with no obvious markers on the surface. Does this mean every survey discovery was just a matter of luck?

Bullshit: once is luck, but five times is all luck?

No one spoke; the atmosphere in the venue became increasingly bizarre.

Lin Sicheng certainly did not rely on luck, but on science. To put it simply: find soil with soil, find kilns with rivers—archaeological science unique to China.

To find cities, look for rammed earth; to find tombs, look for five-colored soil; to find houses, look for yellow soil (clay); to find ancient sites, look for ash soil...

Actually, this is already in the textbooks of various archaeological institutes, but it is very scattered, and no systematic theory has been summarized to this day.

Lin Sicheng has explained it many times: he has explained it to his own people, to local departments, and even more so to Division Chief Sun, Department Head Wu, and Dean Zhang.

Moreover, the relevant materials have already been submitted to the Archaeological Institute, and they will definitely be issued later; there is no need to waste time here.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng tapped the microphone: "Since we are talking about Shadow Blue Porcelain, there are a few sets of data; please take another look, teachers!"

"This is the result we obtained after testing, assaying, and analyzing more than two thousand samples of Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain..."

As he spoke, he scrolled the mouse, the screen flashed, and three more tables appeared:

The Experts took a look: Hutian Kiln Northern Song Dynasty vs. Southern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain analysis comparison!

Those who didn't know the trade were baffled: analysis is analysis, assaying is assaying; it's a perfectly good report, why are you censoring it?

Those who knew the trade looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Why do you think he censored it?

If he didn't censor it, he would have to face a lawsuit.

Don't believe it? Look at the table.

Compared with Northern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain, the main element silicon content of Southern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain increased significantly, while aluminum, iron, titanium, potassium, and sodium content decreased significantly, leading to lower hardness, thicker body, and a significantly lower firing temperature.

Among rare earth elements, the content of Rb (rubidium), Sr (strontium), Cs (cesium), Sc (scandium), and others decreased, while Zr (zirconium) content increased, which inevitably led to a whiter and more moist body—that is, the Sticky Rice Body unique to Southern Song Dynasty Jingdezhen porcelain.

But there is one point: this kind of porcelain is basically not translucent.

Therefore, those censored parts must be data on body thickness, hardness, light transmittance, etc.

To put it simply, it is neither blue, nor thin, nor translucent, and it is brittle; so what do you call that Shadow Blue Porcelain?

To put it more bluntly: Lin Sicheng pushed the craftsmanship technology gap of Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain from the early Yuan Dynasty back to the early Southern Song Dynasty.

It means that Shadow Blue Porcelain went extinct at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty and was never passed down to the Southern Song Dynasty at all.

But then again: Jingdezhen has been researching for over twenty years; don't they know?

Of course that's impossible.

Therefore, if they knew he would research this, Jingdezhen would never have exchanged the Shadow Blue Porcelain samples with him even if it killed them. If they saw this report, it would be a wonder if they didn't cause him trouble.

But these are secondary; what the Experts find strange is: you are researching the inheritance relationship between Hejin Porcelain and Northern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain, so why bother proving whether the Southern Song Dynasty inherited the Shadow Blue Porcelain craft?

It feels like the relationship between the two isn't very significant?

Just as they were suspicious, the screen flashed again, and a new chart appeared.

Northern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain vs. Huo Prefecture Jin and Yuan Dynasty Fine White Porcelain main/trace element comparison.

Hejin Song Dynasty Fine White Porcelain vs. Huo Prefecture Jin and Yuan Dynasty Fine White Porcelain main/trace element comparison.

Huo Prefecture Kiln, where did this pop out from?

Look at the data again... eh?

How is the chemical composition of these three types of porcelain so similar?

Looking at the hardness, crystalline phase, and light transmittance, the Experts suddenly understood: these three types of porcelain craftsmanship have a relationship of inheritance and progressive evolution.

However, the Huo Prefecture Kiln did not inherit the complete craftsmanship technology and could not reach a sufficient firing temperature, which led to the body being extremely brittle.

Strictly speaking, this kind of porcelain has nothing to do with Shadow Blue Porcelain anymore.

But that is not the point; the point is that within these three months, the kiln sites this kid surveyed were not just four, but five?

In a flash, Lin Sicheng picked up the microphone: "After surveying the four kiln sites in Hejin, because the Fine White Porcelain samples were too few to support systematic analysis, research, and craftsmanship tracing, we planned to look for suspected kiln sites that inherited the craft... and then, after the team's unremitting efforts, we finally confirmed the Huo Prefecture Kiln..."

"Wait!" Before he finished speaking, an Expert from the Archaeological Institute raised a hand, "How long was this 'unremitting effort' of yours?"

Lin Sicheng paused and pondered for a long time: "Not very long!"

Otherwise, how could he answer: the team basically didn't put in any effort and just went along for the ride the whole time?

And it didn't take much time either...

Fearing he would continue to press for answers, Lin Sicheng hurriedly changed the subject and scrolled the mouse:

"Thus, we have basically solved the problem of a lack of standard samples, laying a solid foundation for subsequent experimental analysis... and from this, we have determined the proportion and influence of Shadow Blue Porcelain in the Yuan Dynasty Official Kiln system!"

What is this?

Where would Shadow Blue Porcelain come from in the Yuan Dynasty?

Just as he was stunned, the chart on the screen shifted again.

Huh, what is this: Comparison of major/trace elements between North Song Dynasty Yingqing Porcelain and Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze?

Comparison of major/trace elements between Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze and Hejin Song Dynasty Fine White Porcelain?

Comparison of major/trace elements between Huo Prefecture Gold and Yuan Dynasty Fine White Porcelain and Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze?

Director Lv widened his eyes, and the two Experts in the back row could not help but gasp.

It is clearly visible from these two tables: North Song Dynasty Yingqing Porcelain, Hejin Fine White Porcelain, Huo Prefecture Kiln Gold and Yuan Dynasty Fine White Porcelain, and Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze—the craftsmanship and technology of these four types of porcelain are also in a relationship of inheritance and progressive evolution.

North Song Dynasty Yingqing Porcelain has low aluminum content and high silicon and iron content, so the firing temperature is lower, the hardness is slightly lower, and the color is bluer.

Hejin Fine White Porcelain has high aluminum content and low silicon content, so the firing temperature is high, and the hardness is also higher. Secondly, the iron element is lower, so it is whiter.

Huo Prefecture Kiln Fine White Porcelain is also high-aluminum and low-silicon, but the furnace temperature is insufficient, so the body is extremely brittle.

By the time of Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze, it is also high-aluminum and low-silicon, but the calcium content used as a flux has increased several times over. At the same time, the thickness of the body was increased to make up for the shortcomings of the Huo Prefecture Kiln.

Strictly speaking, Egg White Glaze also has nothing to do with the word "Shadow Blue," but that does not affect the fact that the two types of porcelain use the same firing process...

After looking for a long time, Director Lv withdrew his gaze from the screen and landed it on Lin Sicheng's face.

He finally knew: Why did Lin Sicheng want to prove that Shadow Blue Porcelain was lost in the Southern Song Dynasty, rather than the later Yuan Dynasty?

Because only by proving this point could he prove the inheritance relationship between Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze and the Hejin Kiln.

One can imagine: Since Jingdezhen in the same period and region had more perfect technology, it is impossible for the Yuan Dynasty Official Kiln to have gone out of its way to travel thousands of miles to Shanxi to inherit any technology...

Tsk, impressive, Lin Sicheng?

Previously, it was always said that Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze was a new porcelain created by the Fuliang Porcelain Bureau (Yuan Dynasty Official Kiln, in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen) by drawing on the Ding Kiln white porcelain of the Song Dynasty; no one had ever thought that it actually originated from Hutian Kiln Shadow Blue Porcelain?

It amounts to going in a circle and returning to Jingdezhen?

The key lies in the status and influence of Egg White Glaze in the Yuan Dynasty:

"History of Yuan": The national custom values white; the Taixi Zongyin Court (which managed the imperial family's divine halls and Tibetan Buddhism temples in the Yuan Dynasty) ordered the Fuliang Porcelain Bureau (Yuan Dynasty Official Kiln) to fire Egg White Glaze for sacrificial use.

Everyone says Blue and White is the national porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, but in fact, it is Egg White Glaze.

Just for this point, even if those previous data points hadn't been blurred, Jingdezhen would never have cared: because another Tribute Porcelain system had been added.

Sighing inwardly, Director Lv suddenly paused: Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze, it seems, was also lost?

But his intuition told him it wasn't that simple; he kept a wary eye and raised his hand: "What about after that? Did the technology of Egg White Glaze evolve further?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Yes, Director Lv!"

Before the words had even faded, the screen flashed again.

Lv Chenglong froze, his eyes widening bit by bit.

Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze VS Ming Dynasty Sweet White Glaze...

VS Ming Dynasty Eggshell Cup...

VS Chenghua Doucai...

VS Ming Dynasty Dehua White Thin-body Porcelain...

VS Qing Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain...

VS Qing Dynasty Painted Enamel Porcelain...

Table after table, item after item of data—there are body and glaze composition analyses, mean chemical compositions, scatter plots of major element relationships, and even comparisons of major and trace elements.

For a moment, the Experts' eyes were as if they had gone blind.

How many types of famous porcelain is this?

The Ming Dynasty imperial wares that can be counted were almost all rounded up; they all actually originated from Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain?

Why had no one ever known, thought about, or researched this before?

Because the technology was not up to par, and more importantly, because there were not enough standard samples.

Therefore, this data is not right.

Chemical composition and means are easy to handle; larger laboratories can all do them. But for the latter two items, there are not even two handfuls of archaeological institutions in the country that can do them.

The scarcity is secondary.

Like the element scatter plot, it requires the application of X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) systematic analysis technology: every point or circle on the graph represents one analysis result. Count them again; how many element symbols are there in these dozen or so charts?

Four or five hundred wouldn't even cover it.

A single test of a standard sample and calculation of parameters, plus the creation of a standard curve, takes six to eight hours, so at most four sets can be done in a day. Does this mean one machine hasn't stopped for a single minute in four or five months?

It would have smoked and burned out long ago.

Let's talk about the cost: the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics is the highest, at thirty thousand per time. Peking University is the lowest, at fifteen thousand per time. How much is five hundred times?

Then let's talk about the standard samples: Egg White Glaze and Dehua White are slightly lower; a small piece of pottery costs tens or hundreds of thousands, and the quantity existing is relatively high; if you are lucky, you might even find shards.

But the remaining five types are scarcer than the last; I have never heard of any shards existing.

If you use complete pieces, which one isn't two, three, or five million?

Setting all of that aside, let's just talk about the second item.

Although many parts were blurred, everyone present works in this field; one look at the unit "ppm (parts per million)" and they knew: this is INAA test data.

To put it simply, this is nuclear physics testing technology: by irradiating the sample with neutrons, the elements to be tested undergo a nuclear reaction, generating radioactive nuclides. Subsequently, by measuring the half-life, ray type, and energy characteristics of these radioactive nuclides, the element content in the sample is quantitatively analyzed.

The testing cycle is eight to ten weeks: one week for neutron irradiation, four to six weeks for radioactive decay of target elements, one week for gamma-ray spectrometer measurement, and one week or more for data analysis.

The unit of time required to complete the data in these tables is "years."

But Lin Sicheng stated it very clearly: from the planned inspection until now, it has been barely four months.

Then where did his data come from?

Hand-filled?

Seeing the expressions of the Experts, Lin Sicheng knew exactly what they were thinking.

In fact, the coding he used on the charts had nothing to do with Jingdezhen, but rather the new technology used for testing: joint application analysis of nuclear technology.

That is, the joint detection of X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), and Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE).

It does not need eight weeks; with three machines working together, one week is enough.

These three technologies were all introduced early, existing since the seventies, and domestic institutions have already been able to research and develop them independently. The first two have already been jointly applied in cultural relic archaeology and forensic investigations; only the third one is still applied separately.

However, it will be soon; the Terracotta Army Museum is conducting collaborative research with the University of London, and by 2010, they will release the "Non-destructive Testing of Chemical Composition of Ancient Ceramics Using Nuclear Technology" report, which is the joint detection of XRF, NAA, and PIXE.

One cannot really drill holes into Sweet White Glaze, Eggshell Cups, or even Chicken Cups, can they?

There was no other way; Lin Sicheng could only use it in advance.

As for how advanced it is, it is actually average; it is roughly equivalent to a layer of window paper—those who understand it will grasp it instantly, while those who do not would never think of it even if beaten to death.

Therefore, it is not that it cannot be discussed, but that it is too time-consuming: among the Experts present, and the institutions they represent, who has not had the experience of wanting to smash the machine because the testing speed was too slow?

If he were to bring it up, he might end up being dragged to the Cultural Relics Research Institute or the National Museum of China to give a demonstration.

But the data is definitely real, and it was produced while Department Head Wu watched him with his own eyes, without a shred of falsification...

That is roughly all; Lin Sicheng looked at his watch, picked up the microphone again, and clicked the mouse with his other hand, causing the images on the screen to disappear one by one.

"I lack experience; I have been talking for over two hours just on porcelain craftsmanship analysis. The teachers' time is precious, so I will not lecture on the next topic."

"If any teacher is interested, you may collect the materials from Department Head Wu; materials for both topics are available. However, the Iron Cultural Relic Protection technology only contains partial data; the core data must wait until the Thesis is published..."

That is right, it has been over two hours, but how much have you actually said?

You just kept showing us pictures...

Wait, hold on, what technology did you say?

In astonishment, a new title flashed across the screen: Iron Cultural Relic Protection: BTA Slow-release Compounding System.

Lead Institution: Northwest University Restoration Center.

Ma Qinglin's pupils constricted, and he stood up with a "thump"...