Experts restore Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an

在秦始皇帝陵博物院文物保護部彩色陶俑修復室內，一尊秦俑衣領處的彩繪顏料層依稀可辨（8月23日攝）。[新華社記者 李賀 攝]

This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows a piece of the painted Terracotta Warriors at the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Li He)

“彩繪兵馬俑的保護修復工作，就像醫院給病人看病，我們是兵馬俑的專科醫生，這間屋子就是博物院里的‘文物醫院’。”秦始皇帝陵博物院文物修復專家蘭德省說。

"We are the Terracotta Warriors specialists, and this room is a 'hospital' for the relics in the museum," said Lan Desheng, an expert in the restoration of cultural relics with the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum. 

考古顯示，兵馬俑的服飾上有朱紅、粉綠、紫、藍、赭等十幾種顏色。埋在地下兩千余年的彩繪秦俑經過火燒水淹，其彩繪層十分脆弱。出土后，隨著濕度和溫度發生變化，表面很快失水，漆面迅速卷曲剝落。除此之外，微生物、可溶鹽等因素也是引發秦俑褪色的重要原因。

Archaeological research shows that pigments have been found on the Terracotta Warriors. The painted layers of the Terracotta Warriors are very fragile. Once unearthed, with the changes of humidity and temperature, the surface quickly dehydrates and the painted layer comes off. In addition, microorganisms, soluble salts and other factors also cause the color fading. 

據蘭德省介紹，每一件帶有彩繪的兵馬俑一經出土，就要經過X光射線探傷、超聲波檢測、三維圖像采集等程序，之后還要經過現狀記錄、清理、加固、拼對粘接、補全，然后繪圖、建立保護修復檔案、留觀等步驟，最后歸還考古及藏品管理部門，成為一位帶有“身份證號”的彩繪秦俑戰士。近年來，蘭德省和他的修復團隊已修復兵馬俑140余件。

According to Lan, shortly after unearthing, each painted Terracotta Warrior must go through X-ray detection, ultrasonic scanning, 3D images acquisition and other procedures. Staff members clean and restore the pieces of the painted Terracotta Warriors using slim bamboo slips, scalpels, small brushes, etc. Every Terracotta Warrior also has its own ID. In recent years, Lan and his team have completed the restoration of more than 140 Terracotta Warriors. 

1974年3月，秦兵馬俑的發現震驚世界。1987年，秦始皇帝陵及兵馬俑坑被聯合國教科文組織列入《世界遺產名錄》。

Discovered in 1974 and listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the army of Terracotta Warriors was built by Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.).