Authentic or restored: modern analytical tools in the dating of the Chinese scrolls from the Inner Mongolia

Abstract

Abstract In 2014, 13 scrolls were found in Inner Mongolia, China. A visual examination indicated they likely originated sometime in the eleventh century. To validate their authenticity, an analytical study was performed. XRF was used to determine elemental distribution, while Gas Chromatography—High Resolution Mass Spectrometry was used to identify organic constituents. Most compounds found were azo dyes, together with their precursors and degradation products, modern glues, surfactants, etc. The presence of tea components suggested that the scrolls were artificially aged by treatment with tea, which is a well-known method of “aging” paper in China. The result suggests these scrolls were created during the second half of the twentieth century. Radiocarbon dating confirms they were likely created between 2013 and 2018, or between 1955 and 1957. Therefore, the use of modern analytical tools, in combination with traditional expert analysis, should be used to validate the authenticity and date of origin of artifacts.