A Study on the Craftsmanship and Properties of Masonry Artifacts from the Jinshanling Great Wall, China

The Jinshanling Great Wall was constructed during the Ming Dynasty. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is also designated as a Major National Historical and Cultural Site, as ratified and announced by the State Council. This project involved the analysis and testing of the composition, firing temperature, manufacturing techniques, and physical properties of masonry artifacts from the Jinshanling Great Wall, including inscribed gray bricks and fragments from the Kylin Screen Wall. The raw materials used for firing the cultural relic samples primarily consisted of quartz, feldspar, and iron-bearing clay, with firing temperatures ranging approximately between 700–1100 °C. Components fired at lower temperatures exhibit relatively lower structural stability. It was also found that the lightness (L-value) of the ancient bricks exhibited a certain correlation with their compositional and physical properties. Among these, the correlation with density was the strongest. This study determined the firing techniques of the ancient bricks from the Jinshanling Great Wall, revealed patterns between their morphology and physical properties, and provides data support for conservation decisions such as condition assessment, material compatibility evaluation, consolidation planning, and replacement-brick selection for the Jinshanling Great Wall and the Kylin Screen Wall.