Biomass Spectrometry Identification of the Fibre Material in the Pall Imprint Excavated from Grave <scp>M1</scp>, Peng‐state Cemetery, <scp>S</scp>hanxi, <scp>C</scp>hina

In order to identify the fibre material of the pall imprint excavated from the Peng‐state cemetery in S hanxi, biomass spectrometry was applied to determine the amino acid sequences of the residual protein extracted from the soil underneath the imprint. The sequences were searched against a standard protein sequence database. A well‐preserved silk pall sample from the Warring States Period was used as a comparative template. The protein extracted is identified as silk fibroin ( B ombyx mori ). This finding indicates that the extremely degraded pall was made of silk and that the deceased in the Peng‐state cemetery enjoyed high social status. In this way, a novel methodology, which is very promising in uncovering the origin of silk, could be initiated.