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Terracotta army conquers mould threat

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-28 08:51

XI'AN -- Experts have refuted reports that China's 2,000-year-old terracotta army have been exposed to damaging mildew, saying they now have technology to prevent mould growing on the statues.

Media reports last month said that 48 species of potentially destructive mould were detected on the terracotta warriors and horses.

But the experts said most moulds were found on wooden sheds and earth works surrounding the army. The statues were not prone to mildew as they were made of inorganic china clay.

"Earth works of the Number 2 pit were found covered with mould in 1994, and experts have since paid great attention to the phenomenon," said Zhou Tie, a senior researcher at the Terracotta Warriors Museum and president of the national research center for protection of colored pottery.

"In 1998, the mould problem was largely resolved. Since then, the figures have been under proper monitoring and management," said Zhou.

"Mould control work has developed from rescue and restoration work to a stage of early prevention.

"Now we can confidently say mould is no longer a problem," Zhou said.

From 1994 to 1998, experts developed effective fungicides against scores of mould species. They have worked with the Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceutical Co., a world leader in mould control, in equipping the Number 1, 2 and 3 pits with anti-mould instruments and monitoring devices.

Zhou said the temperature and humidity inside the pits were kept at levels to prevent conditions for mould occurring, and air and earth were regularly sampled for research and monitoring.

The statues of warriors and horses were buried with Emperor Qinshihuang more than 2,000 years ago. His mausoleum near Xi'an has never been excavated, but the life-size figures were unearthed from surrounding pits in the 1970s. The "army" has since become a great tourist attraction.

As some key problems of protection have not been solved, only 1,500 terracotta warriors and horses have been unearthed, and nearly 6,000 items are still lie buried.