Journal of Shanghai University(Natural Science Edition) ›› 2026, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (4): 579-597.doi: 10.12066/j.issn.1007-2861.2752

• Cultural Heritage Conservation and Archaeology • Previous Articles    

Corrosion of ancient ceramics recovered from the Yellow Sea waters of Rongcheng city, Shandong Province due to marine biological sedimentation and adhesion

YANG Yong1, KANG Wenqing2, LEE Soobin2, LAN Dong1, CHEN Qiming3, ZHAO Jing2   

  1. 1. Shandong Provincial Underwater Archaeological Research Center, Jinan 250100, China;
    2. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China;
    3. School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
  • Received:2026-05-11 Published:2026-09-04

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the corrosion of glaze layers on ancient ceramics recovered from waters under the influence of marine biofouling. Taking the ancient ceramic samples recovered from the Yellow Sea waters of Rongcheng City, Shandong Province as the research objects, the study analyzed the characteristics of corrosion on the ceramic glaze layers due to the biological sedimentation and adhesion of bryozoans, hydroides, oysters, etc. It was employed m-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (m-XRF), scanning electron microscope (SEM)-energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PY-GC/MS), and microbial sequencing. The results showed that bryozoans densely colonized the ceramic surfaces in a punctate pattern. At attachment sites, organic proteinaceous cements were present, appearing black in color, with the corrosive material primarily composed of Fe/Mn oxides. Oysters adhered preferentially to roughened ceramic areas and were associated with abundant spore-like carbonaceous particles. Hydroides exhibited a striated external morphology and internal scale-like structures at the interface, with the attachment zones being rich in diatoms, which contributed to the formation of black corrosion products composed primarily of FeO(OH). Microbial communities such as Delftia and Pseudomonas were detected on the ceramic surfaces. Furthermore, the corrosion areas contained alanine and glycine derived from proteinaceous cements, as well as methyl stearate produced through microbial degradation. These findings further confirmed the corrosive effects of marine microorganisms, as well as their metabolism and degradation, on biological sedimentation on ceramic surfaces. The results provided important scientific evidences for understanding marine-biofouling-induced interfacial corrosion of recovered ceramics from waters.

Key words: Yellow Sea waters, recovered ancient ceramics from waters, biological sedimentation, corrosion mechanism

CLC Number: