Mineralogical Composition and Cultural Functions of Wushi (Five Minerals) from a Sui Dynasty Tomb, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China

Abstract Wushi are commonly found in tombs from the Eastern Han to the Western Jin Dynasty, but they are rarely discovered in later periods. The identification of Wushi in Tomb M3 of the Wang Shao family cemetery represents the first recorded instance of these minerals in a Sui Dynasty burial. To investigate the mineral composition and cultural significance of the Wushi assemblage, a combination of analytical techniques, including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, was employed. The results indicate that the Wushi assemblage consisted of lapis lazuli, realgar, orpiment, magnetite, and rock crystal. Notably, lapis lazuli and rock crystal were used for the first time as substitute materials within the Wushi assemblage, thereby significantly broadening the established inventory of minerals employed in the Sui Dynasty. The placement of Wushi in Wang Shitong’s tomb is interpreted as a ritual practice intended for protection of the soul, reflecting the continuation of Han Dynasty Daoist cosmological ideologies extending into the Sui Dynasty. These findings offer new insights into the technological choices, ritual practices, and cultural continuity associated with Wushi in early medieval China.