Insights into cosmetic ingredients in the late Northern Song dynasty: A case study from the Shijiatang tomb, southern China

The Song dynasty (970–1279 CE) was an era of a prosperous commodity economy, culture and education in China history, with various descriptions of cosmetic usage. However, archaeological evidence for cosmetic application during this period was rare, which hindered comprehensive understanding. During the excavation of the Shijiatang cemetery, two small and exquisite porcelain containers with suspected cosmetics were unearthed from tomb M50, which belonged to a female with an established social position. In this study, ATR-FTIR, SEM, GC/MS, Py-GC/MS and GC-C-IRMS were used to characterize the residue inside the container, and the results demonstrate that the residue is made of minerals, non-ruminant animal adipose fat and plant ingredients. In particular, the detection of arundoin and cylindrin indicates that the herbal medicine plant Bai Mao (Imperata cylindrica) was likely used as a cosmetic ingredient by the noble class of the Song dynasty. This study provides a precious example of cosmetic production in the Song dynasty and, together with the prevalence of cosmetic use described in historical records, suggests a boom in the cosmetics industry during that period. Furthermore, the exploitation of natural herbal ingredients reflects a master of herbal knowledge and a trend to use natural products to aid in maintaining beauty.