Technological characterization of gold jewellery from the Sogdian tomb of Shi Jun (d. 579 CE) in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

Northern dynasties (386–581 CE) of China witnessed extensive cultural contacts with the outside world. Several gold objects of this period indicate multiple culture influences. However, very few of them were testified by metallurgic analysis. The gold jewellery including a finger ring and an earring with exotic features were uncovered from the joint elite Sogdian tomb of Shi Jun and his wife of the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581 CE) in Xi'an. The current study applied multiple non-destructive analyses to investigate the decorative techniques and materials of the two objects. The results showed that both ornaments were made of refined gold. Autogenous welding and brazing were employed for joining the granules of the earring, indicating different technical choices. More interestingly, niello made of silver sulfide was identified as an innovative technology to decorate the finger ring, presenting the earliest evidence of niello inlay in ancient China. It is noteworthy that powders of silver and sulfur were applied separately, deferring from the traditional method of silver sulfide being synthesised prior to being used. These findings help us gain insights into understanding the technical features of early Medieval gold jewellery, as well as the goldsmith’s methods and intentions.