The First Scientific Research to Trace the Origins of Qin Sealing Clay

The First Scientific Research to Trace the Origins of Qin Sealing Clay | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The First Scientific Research to Trace the Origins of Qin Sealing Clay Houze Guo, Lu Yang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4789585/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Dec, 2024 Read the published version in npj Heritage Science → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The sealing clay is the key physical example of the document sealing system of the Qin dynasty in ancient China. However, only the inscriptions and aesthetic values of the clay were discussed untill now, and the relevant sources were not traced from the perspective of scientific analysis. A total of 81 sealing clays unearthed in Xi’an were studied by means of ultra-depth of field microscopic observation, petrographic microstructure analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The relevant methods of tracing and making of mud samples are discussed based on the results of literature investigation and element analysis. The composition, technology and spatial links between different sealing clay collected from all over the country show that the highly organized sealing materials and systematic processes are an important part of the establishment of unified China, in order to provide detailed and effective scientific information for the subsequent sealing clay protection and archaeological research. Sealing clay in Qin dynasty Mineralogical and geochemical analysis Craftsmanship Centralization Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Introduction The sealing clay is the relic of seal used in ancient documents. It is the physical material of the official and personal seals in ancient times. The earliest sealing clay in Chinese history can be traced back to the Warring States period and was widely used in the Qin and Han dynasties. Moreover, the clear traces of seals and slips retained on the back of most of the sealing clay also provide important information for the discussion of the sealing system of Qin documents, which plays a confirming and complementary role for the research of Qin officials based on documents. In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a comprehensive catalogue of sealing clay was published, among which the main ones were Tieyunzang Sealing Clay, a Summary of Sealing Clay, and a Summary of Sealing Clay collected by Cezhaishou [ 1 ]. Most of the ancient sealing clay discovered since the 1950s can be found in archaeological Briefs [ 2 ] and reports [ 3 , 4 ]. Ancient Chinese Seals by Sun summarized all kinds of clay-sealed materials unearthed or collected all over the world, and clearly presented the process of the evolution of the characters and forms of ancient Chinese seals, as well as the real situation of the system of counties, officials and official seals in the Qin and Han dynasties. In 2000, Zhou focused on the interpretation of Qin sealing clay unearthed in Shaanxi and the study on the value of historical skills such as production technology, geography and seals. However, the unearthed locations of the sealing clay recorded in these works are scattered, and most of the studies only focus on the exploration of the artistic aesthetic value of the inscription, lacking relevant scientific analysis and further tracing and archaeological discussion, and lacking comprehensiveness and systematicness of the studies [ 5 ]. In recent years, a large number of sealing clay have been unexcavated, but there is no further scientific analysis. In the preliminary study, the unpublished information of sealing clay unearthed in Xi’an was sorted out, and the number and region of sealing clay used in different parts of China are summarized and displayed as shown in the figure. As can be seen from the results of the Fig. 1 , the most sealing clay was used in Shaanxi, and more were unearthed in the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi, such as Sichuan, Henan, Anhui and Shanxi. This may suggest that there may be a potential connection between the production of sealing clay and the geographical location of Shaanxi. A total of 81 sealing clay samples were selected in this study, all of which were unearthed in Xi’an. The provenance determination of ceramics is often accomplished through combined chemical and petrographic analysis [ 6 , 7 ]. The scientific analysis methods of ultra-depth of field microscopic observation, petrographic microscopic observation analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were studied and used to conduct comprehensive analysis of the selected samples from multiple perspectives of microscopic, phase composition and raw material traceability, in order to provide detailed and effective scientific information for subsequent mud protection and archaeological research. Research Aim The research on the origin of ceramics(pottery [ 8 – 10 ], clay figurines [ 11 ]), glass [ 12 ], and other cultural relics samples [13] has been effective, but they are usually only for a specific area. Based on the sealing clay, this research studies the origin of the cultural relic samples which are widely used but not limited to a certain region, in order to discuss the centralization system. Materials and methods Sample selection A considerable number of seals were excavated in the site in Xi 'an, with different styles and characters, whose inscriptions are legible or blurred. Eighty-one representative samples are selected for the experiment. The inscriptions of 44 experimental samples are shown as follows: Table 1 Sample description Sample Tomb code Inscription Region Used Sample81-45-1 T22②:29 咸阳丞印 Xianyang,Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-2 H5④:30 蓝田丞印 Lantian,Xi'an, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-3 H25②:560 频阳丞印 Fupin,Weinan, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-4 H4②:130 杜丞之印 Xi’an,Shaanxi province Sample81-45-5 T22④:14 高陵丞印 Gaoling,Xi'an, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-6 H25②:571 好畤丞印 Xian,Xianyang, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-7 AT11HT:34 雍丞之印 Fengxiang,Baoji, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-8 H25③:341 吕丞之印 Tongshan,Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province Sample81-45-9 T11②120 衙丞之印 Baishui,Weinan, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-10 H25③:340 犛丞之印 Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-11 H19①:1 重泉丞印 Pucheng,Weinan, Shaanxi Sample81-45-12 H25②:568 废丘丞印 Xingping,Xianyang, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-13 H3③:351 美阳丞印 Baoji,Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-14 H25③:343 漆丞之印 Xingping,Xianyang, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-15 T21④:3 上郡铁丞 Yulin,Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-16 H20:130 蜀西工印 Chengdu, Sichuan Province Sample81-45-17 AT11HT:35 砀丞之印 Mengshan, Yongcheng, Henan Province Sample81-45-18 H3⑨:277 郯丞之印 Linyi, Shandong Province Sample81-45-19 H30②:30 西□ Gansu Province Sample81-45-20 1997K1:1892 右云□□ Xiaogan, Hubei Province Sample81-45-21 H30①:55 蜀□府□ Sichuan Province Sample81-45-22 H30④:6 蜀□工□ Sichuan Province Sample81-45-23 H3①:181 邞丞□□ Jiaozhou, Shandong province Sample81-45-24 H3③:359 氐導丞□ Sichuan Province Sample81-45-25 H3⑧:199 銍□之□ Suixi, Anhui Province Sample81-45-26 G2:6 卢氏 Sanmenxia, Henan Province Sample81-45-27 H25②:558 雁门铁丞 Dai County, Qizhou, Shanxi Province Sample81-45-28 H25①:373 魯丞之印 Qufu, Shandong Province Sample81-45-29 T11③:51 鮦□丞□ Linquan, Anhui Province Sample81-45-30 H30④:7 成都 Chengdu, Sichuan Province Sample81-45-31 T11③:56 平乐丞印 Guilin, Guangxi Province Sample81-45-32 H25①:343 九江太守 Jiangxi Province Sample81-45-33 T12②:33 合肥丞印 Anhui Province Sample81-45-34 J1②:7 柴桑 Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province Sample81-45-35 H3⑨:269 西陵丞印 Yichang, Hubei Province Sample81-45-36 T12②:34 萧丞之□ Suzhou, Anhui Province Sample81-45-37 T11③:55 颖阳丞印 Dengfeng, Henan Province Sample81-45-38 H3⑥:112 阳成丞印 Yanliang, Xi 'an, Shaanxi Province Sample81-45-39 T22⑤:5 新城父丞 Henan Province Sample81-45-40 H3⑨:255 邯郸造工 Handan, Hebei Province Sample81-45-42 H3⑨:276 饶阳丞印 Hengshui, Hebei Province Sample81-45-43 H25②:559 恒山司空 Datong, Shanxi Province Sample81-45-44 H25①:379 寿陵丞印 Hubei Province Sample81-45-45 H3⑧:299 代马丞印 Shanxi Province Due to space constraints, only microscopic observation results and elemental analysis results of the remaining samples without inscriptions are shown. Analytical procedures X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry A micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (German Bruker ARTAX400) is used in this study. The test conditions of the instrument were 30kv voltage, 900µA current, Helium atmosphere and 200s data acquisition time. Petrographic microstructure analysis The experiment is conducted using two polarizing microscopes, one for observation (Leica DMLSP) and another for sample preparation (Batuo), polishing machine (Struers Dap-v), cutting machine (Micro Gut3), thin section preparation and polishing system (Buehler PretroThin), and vacuum impregnation apparatus (Germany ATM Brilliant210). The samples were prepared into thin sections with a thickness of approximately 30 µm, and then observed using a microscope to identify the polarizing microscopy features of the samples. OM analysis The microscopic morphology is observed using super-depth 3D digital microscope in this study (Carl Zeiss Smartzoom5 from Germany). The integrated segmented LED ring light was used to replace the traditional polarizing filter, which was used to study and observe the color, impurities (plant fiber carbonization marks), and surface details of the seal's outer surface and inner section. Results Micromorphology The microscopic results of 9 representative samples were presented. Among them, Figure a, b and c show the inscriptions on the surface of the sample; Figures d, e and f show the indentation of bamboo slips (processed bamboo strips) retained on the back of the seal during production. The characteristics are as follows: The indentation on the back of the seal is smooth, and the marks of bamboo strips are in the same direction, and there are two states: interleaving and relatively flat. Figure g, h and j show the seal marks of suspected rope strips, which are characterized as follows: there are holes in the middle of the sealing mud that run through the transverse, the upper and lower layers of the sealing mud are partially broken or completely broken, the fracture surface is neat and smooth, the holes are completely exposed, and the spiral and parallel lines are clearly visible on the side walls of the holes. It can be found that bamboo strips and rope marks are obvious, but no traces of organic matter have been observed. Only a small number of bamboo slips from the Qin and Han dynasties exist now, the traces retained on the back of the clay can be used as corroborating materials, combined with the interpretation of the inscriptions, to further explore the historical information. Petrography Through the petrographic observation, it is found that the particles are transparent and have extinction, and the particle size is divided into two trends, respectively below 0.06mm and between 0.174mm and 1.313mm. The particles below 0.029mm are more uniform; Below 0.025mm and between 0.039mm and 0.163mm. Most of them are angular, and the particle size is different. The color of the substrate is dark yellowish-brown. The voids are long strips, accounting for 46.3%, 63% and 68.7% respectively, and the yellowish brown material is elliptical.grain The void space of the samples is greater than 6% and less than 11%. The proportion of matrix was about 46–69%, the proportion of particles in Sample81-3-2 and Sample81-3-1 was also relatively close, between 24% and 27%, and the proportion of particles in Sample81-3-1 was 43.3%. After examination, the main components are quartz and feldspar, the tan matrix is more uniform, there is no edge mixed situation [ 14 ], and the difference in the surface color of the sealing clay is speculated to be caused by the change of atmosphere during the burning. The petrology characteristics of all the sealed mud samples are mainly quartz, less feldspar, and least inclusions, which belong to the typical sedimentary loess found in northern China [ 15 ]. The grain size range is mainly distributed in two trends, forming a bimodal grain size distribution [ 16 ], which belongs to the silt particle range and gravel (≥ 0.0625mm), and the grain size of them is very different, which is not consistent with that of the natural clay without screening. The results show that the raw materials of the selected sealing clay samples should be processed and mixed artificially. X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry The Table 3 below is obtained after normalization processing. The content of SiO 2 is 70.20%-42.09%, the content of Al 2 O 3 is 15.54%-6.47%, and the content of Fe 2 O 3 is 7.57%-4.50%. The box diagram of element composition content of Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca and Fe is shown as follows: many similarities in elemental composition, particularly in terms of major elements (aluminum, calcium, and Ferrum) as well as sodium and magnesium. On the premise of not excluding environmental factors [ 17 ], the samples selected for the experiment show the various handling techniques and relatively consistent elemental properties [ 18 ]. The data lithotripsy map showed that there are 6 principal components extracted, and the cumulative contribution was 100%. Among them, the cumulative contribution rates of the first three principal components were 43.045%, 62.024% and 80.196%. Scatter plot clustering was done with principal components 1 and 2 and principal components 1 and 3, and the results are shown as follows: The scatterplot shows a dense cloud. Based on the kernel density estimation method, the results of scatterplot (a) and (b) are almost clustered in the same central region. Except for the occasional offset of a point in a county far from the central coast, Qin Sealing clay is very stable in terms of element composition, showing a high degree of consistency and standardization [ 19 ], indicating that the source of raw materials may be consistent. It's not the local department. That is, the samples used for research maybe raw materials from the same region even if the inscriptions indicate that they are used in different regions. Clay is collected in a centralized organization and processed by specialized technology and distributed to different areas for use [ 20 – 22 ], which is an important link in the establishment of unified China [ 23 ]. Conclusion In this study, the material source of the Qin seal mud unearthed from Xi’an site was traced by means of microscopic observation and elemental analysis. The microscopic observation results showed that although no residual organic components were detected in the mud, the ultra-depth of field microscopic observation found that there are obvious upper and lower layers inside the mud, with spiral and long string marks visible in the middle, which may provide strong support for subsequent research on the bundling method of bamboo slips. In addition, some transverse plant fibers with complete carbonization could be observed in the inner section. It is presumed that after high temperature fire treatment, combined with the density and quantity of the unearthed mud, it can be inferred that the central government of Qin unified destruction. It was found that the most seals were unearthed in Shaanxi, and more were unearthed in the surrounding provinces of Shaanxi, such as Sichuan, Henan, Anhui and Shanxi. Combined with the tracing conclusion of principal component analysis, it can be seen that after the first unification of the Qin dynasty, the sealing materials used in the slips and slips used in the document exchanges between the central government and the official offices and officials of the counties were probably from the central government (the inner historical region), rather than local materials. Therefore, due to the transportation cost, the number of regional sealing materials near Shaanxi was large to some extent. However, the amount of sealing clay unearthed in remote areas is small. This reflects the strengthening of the power of the State of Qin, the exchange of materials and information sharing between the local and the central authorities became more frequent and close, and unified collection, processing and distribution showed that the Qin dynasty strictly controlled the official documents. Although the manufacturing of sealing clay can be carried out locally, and information can be transmitted more quickly and conveniently, the distribution of raw materials is controlled by the central government. This system further reflects the strengthening of the centralization of the Qin dynasty, and is inherited by the later emperors. The manufacturing technology and ruling management means behind this have also become a model for the continuous strengthening of centralization of the central government in later generations. The formation of centralized rule laid an extremely important foundation for the current administrative division and the formation of Chinese national culture. As the direct material remains of the sealing system in this historical period, the integration of mud and bamboo slips is an important topic for the in-depth advancement of archaeology and history research. However, the research on the origin and production process of sealing clay is in the initial stage, and the research on physical and chemical properties of other types of cultural relics is not thorough. If the cultural relics protection and scientific and technological analysis of Qin sealing clay can be further carried out in the future, it will provide scientific and rigorous data and means reference for the work, which will have profound significance for the development of archaeology and related disciplines. Declarations Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the staff working at Hejia Village, Zhouling. They all gave us access to their facilities and waited patiently for us to finish our observations, photographs and samples. Author contributions Both authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by LY and HG, and LY provided the samples. The first draft of the manuscript was written by HG, and both authors read and revised the previous versions of the manuscript. Both authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. Funding This research was supported by the 111 project (Grant No. D18004). Availability of data and materials All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Ethics approval and consent to participate Not applicable. Consent to participate Not applicable. Consent for publication Not applicable. Conflict of interests The authors declare no competing interests. References Liu Q, Li S.A study of the Qin clay sealings from the Xiangjiaxiang site, Xi’an. Acta Archaeologica Sinca.2001;4:427-452+569-588. https://doi.org/CNKI:SUN:KGXB.0.2001-04-000. ( in Chinese ). Han G, Zhou Z, Chai Y, Zhang X. Summary of Qin sealing clays unearthed at H4 site of Xiangjiaxiang, Xi'an. Wenwu. 2022; 10:4-21. https://doi.org/10.13619/j.cnki.cn11-1532/k.2022.10.006. ( in Chinese ). 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Maritime silk road heritage: quantitative typological analysis of qing dynasty export porcelain bowls from Guangzhou from the perspective of social factors. Herit Sci. 2023;11: 263. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-01103-2. Tables Tables 2 and 3 are available in the Supplementary Files section. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Highlights.docx Tables.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Dec, 2024 Read the published version in npj Heritage Science → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 27 Jul, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 26 Jul, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 26 Jul, 2024 First submitted to journal 23 Jul, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Yang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAxElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCBww2EAYP0VoSGNJI13KYBC0Gx88efpHYdj7P4EYC44O3bQzy5gS1nMlLs0hsu10M1MJsOLeNwXBnAyEtB3LMDIBaErfdSGCT5m1jSDA4QEjL+TcgLedAWth/E6flRo7xg8S2A2BbmInSInnjjRlDwrnkxP1nHjZLzjknYbiBkBa+8znGHz6U2SXObE8++OFNmY08QVsUDjCwSUCYjA1AQoKAeiCQb2Bg/kBY2SgYBaNgFIxoAADBBUZakBHmfwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Northwest University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lu","middleName":"","lastName":"Yang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-23 14:36:05","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4789585/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4789585/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01524-7","type":"published","date":"2024-12-17T15:57:30+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":63036901,"identity":"ff0f92b1-9ae9-4776-b70c-d8690c1d9793","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:39:14","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":139796,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eRegional distribution of sealing clay.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/25ef55cc77c8fac60c021cac.png"},{"id":63036385,"identity":"9f64c385-1a16-4ca9-ab64-562dae7631c2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:31:14","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":744875,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMicroscopic observation of samples.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/09fdc55776e9a5a03dfe6bc4.png"},{"id":63036449,"identity":"5676a673-b22c-4e93-8248-c97d92d5c07e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:31:29","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":65958,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBox diagram of element composition content.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/51dee38805292084fd879e91.png"},{"id":63036387,"identity":"3cd1901d-8646-47c3-81d9-ddd4f8ed94c7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:31:14","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":75739,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eResult (1) of principal component analysis.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/3f906129bb5bdf6e15b2e8e1.png"},{"id":63037659,"identity":"9380a8f7-7d1e-406a-8bed-ec67b957f8db","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:47:14","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":67721,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eResult (2) of principal component analysis.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/6931463b121041309dbe260b.png"},{"id":72201832,"identity":"fdad82d8-1448-4275-a5cf-11dac40f728a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-12-23 16:10:55","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1619664,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/95588475-5a52-4083-8c9e-764ad1678ac1.pdf"},{"id":63036389,"identity":"af8422f5-a76f-4fcd-8f83-7007b9c9bccd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:31:14","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":13257,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Highlights.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/0a4ea667154e08ac7be23f4d.docx"},{"id":63036450,"identity":"f86c162a-00ee-42f1-a8b8-585bc87eb9b8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 10:31:30","extension":"docx","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":818144,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Tables.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4789585/v1/dcf5c202bded4fa207f92bb0.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The First Scientific Research to Trace the Origins of Qin Sealing Clay","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe sealing clay is the relic of seal used in ancient documents. It is the physical material of the official and personal seals in ancient times. The earliest sealing clay in Chinese history can be traced back to the Warring States period and was widely used in the Qin and Han dynasties. Moreover, the clear traces of seals and slips retained on the back of most of the sealing clay also provide important information for the discussion of the sealing system of Qin documents, which plays a confirming and complementary role for the research of Qin officials based on documents. In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a comprehensive catalogue of sealing clay was published, among which the main ones were Tieyunzang Sealing Clay, a Summary of Sealing Clay, and a Summary of Sealing Clay collected by Cezhaishou [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. Most of the ancient sealing clay discovered since the 1950s can be found in archaeological Briefs [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e] and reports [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Ancient Chinese Seals by Sun summarized all kinds of clay-sealed materials unearthed or collected all over the world, and clearly presented the process of the evolution of the characters and forms of ancient Chinese seals, as well as the real situation of the system of counties, officials and official seals in the Qin and Han dynasties. In 2000, Zhou focused on the interpretation of Qin sealing clay unearthed in Shaanxi and the study on the value of historical skills such as production technology, geography and seals. However, the unearthed locations of the sealing clay recorded in these works are scattered, and most of the studies only focus on the exploration of the artistic aesthetic value of the inscription, lacking relevant scientific analysis and further tracing and archaeological discussion, and lacking comprehensiveness and systematicness of the studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. In recent years, a large number of sealing clay have been unexcavated, but there is no further scientific analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the preliminary study, the unpublished information of sealing clay unearthed in Xi\u0026rsquo;an was sorted out, and the number and region of sealing clay used in different parts of China are summarized and displayed as shown in the figure. As can be seen from the results of the Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, the most sealing clay was used in Shaanxi, and more were unearthed in the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi, such as Sichuan, Henan, Anhui and Shanxi. This may suggest that there may be a potential connection between the production of sealing clay and the geographical location of Shaanxi.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 81 sealing clay samples were selected in this study, all of which were unearthed in Xi\u0026rsquo;an. The provenance determination of ceramics is often accomplished through combined chemical and petrographic analysis [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. The scientific analysis methods of ultra-depth of field microscopic observation, petrographic microscopic observation analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were studied and used to conduct comprehensive analysis of the selected samples from multiple perspectives of microscopic, phase composition and raw material traceability, in order to provide detailed and effective scientific information for subsequent mud protection and archaeological research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eResearch Aim\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research on the origin of ceramics(pottery [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR9\" citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e], clay figurines [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]), glass [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e], and other cultural relics samples [13] has been effective, but they are usually only for a specific area. Based on the sealing clay, this research studies the origin of the cultural relic samples which are widely used but not limited to a certain region, in order to discuss the centralization system.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample selection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA considerable number of seals were excavated in the site in Xi 'an, with different styles and characters, whose inscriptions are legible or blurred. Eighty-one representative samples are selected for the experiment. The inscriptions of 44 experimental samples are shown as follows:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample description\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTomb code\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInscription\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegion Used\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT22②:29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e咸阳丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eXianyang,Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH5④:30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e蓝田丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLantian,Xi'an, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25②:560\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e频阳丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFupin,Weinan, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH4②:130\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e杜丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eXi\u0026rsquo;an,Shaanxi province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT22④:14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e高陵丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGaoling,Xi'an, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25②:571\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e好畤丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eXian,Xianyang, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAT11HT:34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e雍丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFengxiang,Baoji, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25③:341\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e吕丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTongshan,Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT11②120\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e衙丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBaishui,Weinan, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25③:340\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e犛丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH19①:1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e重泉丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePucheng,Weinan, Shaanxi\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25②:568\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e废丘丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eXingping,Xianyang, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3③:351\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e美阳丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBaoji,Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25③:343\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e漆丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eXingping,Xianyang, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT21④:3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e上郡铁丞\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYulin,Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH20:130\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e蜀西工印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChengdu, Sichuan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAT11HT:35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e砀丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMengshan, Yongcheng, Henan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑨:277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e郯丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinyi, Shandong Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH30②:30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e西□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGansu Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1997K1:1892\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e右云□□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eXiaogan, Hubei Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH30①:55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e蜀□府□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSichuan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH30④:6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e蜀□工□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSichuan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3①:181\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e邞丞□□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJiaozhou, Shandong province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3③:359\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e氐導丞□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSichuan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑧:199\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e銍□之□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuixi, Anhui Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eG2:6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e卢氏\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSanmenxia, Henan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25②:558\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e雁门铁丞\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDai County, Qizhou, Shanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25①:373\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e魯丞之印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eQufu, Shandong Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT11③:51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e鮦□丞□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinquan, Anhui Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH30④:7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e成都\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChengdu, Sichuan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT11③:56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e平乐丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGuilin, Guangxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25①:343\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e九江太守\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJiangxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT12②:33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e合肥丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnhui Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJ1②:7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e柴桑\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJiujiang, Jiangxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑨:269\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e西陵丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYichang, Hubei Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT12②:34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e萧丞之□\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuzhou, Anhui Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT11③:55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e颖阳丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDengfeng, Henan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑥:112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e阳成丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYanliang, Xi 'an, Shaanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eT22⑤:5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e新城父丞\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHenan Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑨:255\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e邯郸造工\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHandan, Hebei Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑨:276\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e饶阳丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHengshui, Hebei Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25②:559\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e恒山司空\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDatong, Shanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH25①:379\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e寿陵丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHubei Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample81-45-45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3⑧:299\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e代马丞印\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShanxi Province\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDue to space constraints, only microscopic observation results and elemental analysis results of the remaining samples without inscriptions are shown.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAnalytical procedures\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eX-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (German Bruker ARTAX400) is used in this study. The test conditions of the instrument were 30kv voltage, 900\u0026micro;A current, Helium atmosphere and 200s data acquisition time.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePetrographic microstructure analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe experiment is conducted using two polarizing microscopes, one for observation (Leica DMLSP) and another for sample preparation (Batuo), polishing machine (Struers Dap-v), cutting machine (Micro Gut3), thin section preparation and polishing system (Buehler PretroThin), and vacuum impregnation apparatus (Germany ATM Brilliant210). The samples were prepared into thin sections with a thickness of approximately 30 \u0026micro;m, and then observed using a microscope to identify the polarizing microscopy features of the samples.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eOM analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe microscopic morphology is observed using super-depth 3D digital microscope in this study (Carl Zeiss Smartzoom5 from Germany). The integrated segmented LED ring light was used to replace the traditional polarizing filter, which was used to study and observe the color, impurities (plant fiber carbonization marks), and surface details of the seal's outer surface and inner section.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eMicromorphology\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe microscopic results of 9 representative samples were presented. Among them, \u003cstrong\u003eFigure a, b\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ec\u003c/strong\u003e show the inscriptions on the surface of the sample; \u003cstrong\u003eFigures d, e\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ef\u003c/strong\u003e show the indentation of bamboo slips (processed bamboo strips) retained on the back of the seal during production. The characteristics are as follows: The indentation on the back of the seal is smooth, and the marks of bamboo strips are in the same direction, and there are two states: interleaving and relatively flat. \u003cstrong\u003eFigure g, h\u003c/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ej\u003c/strong\u003e show the seal marks of suspected rope strips, which are characterized as follows: there are holes in the middle of the sealing mud that run through the transverse, the upper and lower layers of the sealing mud are partially broken or completely broken, the fracture surface is neat and smooth, the holes are completely exposed, and the spiral and parallel lines are clearly visible on the side walls of the holes.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIt can be found that bamboo strips and rope marks are obvious, but no traces of organic matter have been observed. Only a small number of bamboo slips from the Qin and Han dynasties exist now, the traces retained on the back of the clay can be used as corroborating materials, combined with the interpretation of the inscriptions, to further explore the historical information.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003ePetrography\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThrough the petrographic observation, it is found that the particles are transparent and have extinction, and the particle size is divided into two trends, respectively below 0.06mm and between 0.174mm and 1.313mm. The particles below 0.029mm are more uniform; Below 0.025mm and between 0.039mm and 0.163mm. Most of them are angular, and the particle size is different. The color of the substrate is dark yellowish-brown. The voids are long strips, accounting for 46.3%, 63% and 68.7% respectively, and the yellowish brown material is elliptical.grain\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe void space of the samples is greater than 6% and less than 11%. The proportion of matrix was about 46\u0026ndash;69%, the proportion of particles in Sample81-3-2 and Sample81-3-1 was also relatively close, between 24% and 27%, and the proportion of particles in Sample81-3-1 was 43.3%. After examination, the main components are quartz and feldspar, the tan matrix is more uniform, there is no edge mixed situation [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e], and the difference in the surface color of the sealing clay is speculated to be caused by the change of atmosphere during the burning. The petrology characteristics of all the sealed mud samples are mainly quartz, less feldspar, and least inclusions, which belong to the typical sedimentary loess found in northern China [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe grain size range is mainly distributed in two trends, forming a bimodal grain size distribution [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e], which belongs to the silt particle range and gravel (\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;0.0625mm), and the grain size of them is very different, which is not consistent with that of the natural clay without screening.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe results show that the raw materials of the selected sealing clay samples should be processed and mixed artificially.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eX-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e below is obtained after normalization processing. The content of SiO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e is 70.20%-42.09%, the content of Al\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e is 15.54%-6.47%, and the content of Fe\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e is 7.57%-4.50%.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe box diagram of element composition content of Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca and Fe is shown as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003emany similarities in elemental composition, particularly in terms of major elements (aluminum, calcium, and Ferrum) as well as sodium and magnesium. On the premise of not excluding environmental factors [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e], the samples selected for the experiment show the various handling techniques and relatively consistent elemental properties [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. The data lithotripsy map showed that there are 6 principal components extracted, and the cumulative contribution was 100%. Among them, the cumulative contribution rates of the first three principal components were 43.045%, 62.024% and 80.196%. Scatter plot clustering was done with principal components 1 and 2 and principal components 1 and 3, and the results are shown as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe scatterplot shows a dense cloud. Based on the kernel density estimation method, the results of scatterplot (a) and (b) are almost clustered in the same central region. Except for the occasional offset of a point in a county far from the central coast, Qin Sealing clay is very stable in terms of element composition, showing a high degree of consistency and standardization [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e], indicating that the source of raw materials may be consistent. It\u0026apos;s not the local department. That is, the samples used for research maybe raw materials from the same region even if the inscriptions indicate that they are used in different regions. Clay is collected in a centralized organization and processed by specialized technology and distributed to different areas for use [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e], which is an important link in the establishment of unified China [\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study, the material source of the Qin seal mud unearthed from Xi\u0026rsquo;an site was traced by means of microscopic observation and elemental analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe microscopic observation results showed that although no residual organic components were detected in the mud, the ultra-depth of field microscopic observation found that there are obvious upper and lower layers inside the mud, with spiral and long string marks visible in the middle, which may provide strong support for subsequent research on the bundling method of bamboo slips. In addition, some transverse plant fibers with complete carbonization could be observed in the inner section. It is presumed that after high temperature fire treatment, combined with the density and quantity of the unearthed mud, it can be inferred that the central government of Qin unified destruction.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt was found that the most seals were unearthed in Shaanxi, and more were unearthed in the surrounding provinces of Shaanxi, such as Sichuan, Henan, Anhui and Shanxi. Combined with the tracing conclusion of principal component analysis, it can be seen that after the first unification of the Qin dynasty, the sealing materials used in the slips and slips used in the document exchanges between the central government and the official offices and officials of the counties were probably from the central government (the inner historical region), rather than local materials. Therefore, due to the transportation cost, the number of regional sealing materials near Shaanxi was large to some extent. However, the amount of sealing clay unearthed in remote areas is small. This reflects the strengthening of the power of the State of Qin, the exchange of materials and information sharing between the local and the central authorities became more frequent and close, and unified collection, processing and distribution showed that the Qin dynasty strictly controlled the official documents. Although the manufacturing of sealing clay can be carried out locally, and information can be transmitted more quickly and conveniently, the distribution of raw materials is controlled by the central government. This system further reflects the strengthening of the centralization of the Qin dynasty, and is inherited by the later emperors. The manufacturing technology and ruling management means behind this have also become a model for the continuous strengthening of centralization of the central government in later generations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe formation of centralized rule laid an extremely important foundation for the current administrative division and the formation of Chinese national culture. As the direct material remains of the sealing system in this historical period, the integration of mud and bamboo slips is an important topic for the in-depth advancement of archaeology and history research. However, the research on the origin and production process of sealing clay is in the initial stage, and the research on physical and chemical properties of other types of cultural relics is not thorough. If the cultural relics protection and scientific and technological analysis of Qin sealing clay can be further carried out in the future, it will provide scientific and rigorous data and means reference for the work, which will have profound significance for the development of archaeology and related disciplines.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors would like to thank the staff working at Hejia Village, Zhouling. They all gave us access to their facilities and waited patiently for us to finish our observations, photographs and samples.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by LY and HG, and LY provided the samples. The first draft of the manuscript was written by HG, and both authors read and revised the previous versions of the manuscript. Both authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was supported by the 111 project (Grant No. D18004).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot\u0026nbsp;applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot\u0026nbsp;applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiu Q, Li S.A study of the Qin clay sealings from the Xiangjiaxiang site, Xi\u0026rsquo;an. 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Archaeometry. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12613.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarghussian A, Coningham R, Nashli H. The development of pottery production, specialisation and standardisation in the Late Neolithic and Transitional Chalcolithic periods in the Central Plateau of Iran. Archaeol Res Asia. 2021;28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2021.100325.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAo J, Li W, Ji S, Chen S. Maritime silk road heritage: quantitative typological analysis of qing dynasty export porcelain bowls from Guangzhou from the perspective of social factors. Herit Sci. 2023;11: 263. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-01103-2.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003cp\u003eTables 2 and 3 are available in the Supplementary Files section.\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"npj-heritage-science","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"hsci","sideBox":"Learn more about [Heritage Science](http://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"40494","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/40494/3","title":"npj Heritage Science","twitterHandle":"@SpringerOpen","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Sealing clay in Qin dynasty, Mineralogical and geochemical analysis, Craftsmanship, Centralization","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4789585/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4789585/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe sealing clay is the key physical example of the document sealing system of the Qin dynasty in ancient China. However, only the inscriptions and aesthetic values of the clay were discussed untill now, and the relevant sources were not traced from the perspective of scientific analysis. A total of 81 sealing clays unearthed in Xi\u0026rsquo;an were studied by means of ultra-depth of field microscopic observation, petrographic microstructure analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The relevant methods of tracing and making of mud samples are discussed based on the results of literature investigation and element analysis. The composition, technology and spatial links between different sealing clay collected from all over the country show that the highly organized sealing materials and systematic processes are an important part of the establishment of unified China, in order to provide detailed and effective scientific information for the subsequent sealing clay protection and archaeological research.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The First Scientific Research to Trace the Origins of Qin Sealing Clay","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-22 10:31:09","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4789585/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2024-07-27T20:31:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-07-26T07:37:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-07-26T07:36:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Heritage Science","date":"2024-07-23T14:32:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"npj-heritage-science","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"hsci","sideBox":"Learn more about [Heritage Science](http://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"40494","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/40494/3","title":"npj Heritage Science","twitterHandle":"@SpringerOpen","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"3a91dd89-1e6d-4bbd-87bf-c220ee0d54ae","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 22nd, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-12-23T16:01:51+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4789585","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01524-7","journal":{"identity":"npj-heritage-science","isVorOnly":false,"title":"npj Heritage Science"},"publishedOn":"2024-12-17 15:57:30","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 17th, 2024"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-22 10:31:09","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40494-024-01524-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01524-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4789585","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4789585","identity":"rs-4789585","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}