Raman Spectroscopic Characteristic of Red Coral Artifact and Its Communication between China and the West before the 19^th Century

Red coral played an important role in the cultural and material exchanges between Asia and Europe in ancient times and in the process of modern globalization. However, the scientific and technological analysis and research on ancient red coral products in China are still weak. In this study, a batch of beaded artifacts were confirmed as natural red coral products by in-situ nondestructive testing using benchtop laser confocal Raman spectrometer and portable Raman spectrometer. According to the literature, after the Han Dynasty, most red coral products were imported from the Mediterranean area, which was the direct product of trade and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries after the opening of the Silk Road. Although red coral played an important role in the communication between China and foreign countries in different periods of ancient times, the abundant ancient literature records did not commensurate with the reality that there was little physical evidence of red coral excavated from remains and sites before the Ming Dynasty. And one reason may be that red coral artifacts are easily confused with other materials after deterioration.Therefore, scientific and technological means, including Raman spectroscopy, should be used in archaeological excavations and museum work to identify suspected red coral samples, so as to better reveal the significance of red coral in ancient trade activities.