Rust-eaten Characteristic of Ancient Bronze Arrows Excavated from Jiuliandun Chu Tombs

The rust-eaten characteristic of two ancient bronze arrows excavated from Jiuliandun Chu Tombs in Zaoyang, Hubei was studied by means of optial microscope and scanning electronic microscope. It was found that the fractured surface microstructures of these two ancient bronze arrows were both composed of three distinction layers including completely mineralized layer, transition layer and base metal, similar with that of the ancient bronze arrows excavated in other regions of the middle Yangtse River. Meantime, the powdery rusts in surface layer of corrosion were not awful, which proposed that the embedding environment was not conducive to be rusting the ancient bronze. The rust degree of bronze arrow with higher Pb element content was much more serious than that with lower Pb element content, that is, the content of Pb element was a key factor for the corrosion-resistance of ancient bronze.