The deterioration structure of tremolite jade artifacts from the Sanxingdui sacrificial pits dated to the Shang Dynasty in Guanghan, Sichuan, China

The Sanxingdui archaeological site, located in Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, is considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in China. Current research suggests that jade artifacts unearthed from the sacrificial pits at the site were subjected to high temperatures before being interred, which led to the transformation of tremolite into whitened pyroxene. In this study, tremolite and pyroxene samples from the sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui site were selected for analysis. These samples were examined using a variety of analytical techniques, including ultra-depth-of-field microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry, laser confocal Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The objective of this study was to investigate the structural characteristics and deterioration status of the jade artifacts. The results indicate that jade artifacts with a higher degree of pyroxenization tend to exhibit more severe deterioration, while tremolite jade artifacts without pyroxenization generally remain in better condition.