Biography
My academic background is in biology and cultural heritage conservation. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to study gold, iron and steel, bronze, shells, woods, lacquerware and ceramics in the 7 years of heritage studies. My previous research topics include Non-destructive Testing of Iron Cultural Heritages Based on Metal Magnetic Memory Technology, Manufacturing Crafts and Corrosion Mechanisms of Gold Foil on the Lacquerware, Deterioration and Protection of Translucent Shells in the Forbidden City.
I obtained my PhD degree in Archaeology and became a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University. I recently joined the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, as a hosted fellow, continuing the research on metal magnetic memory and CT applications on iron cultural heritages.
Education:
PhD in Cultural Heritage Conservation, School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University (2020-2025)
BA in School of Life Sciences, minor in Cultural Heritage Conservation, Peking University (2016-2020)
Research
My research interests centre around using analytical approaches to assess the state of conservation and investigate the manufacture of metal artefacts and other interesting archaeological materials. My PhD dissertation focuses on the application of metal magnetic memory technology to iron cultural heritages, including developing suitable methods and improving the detector for testing iron artefacts, investigating the appropriate parameters for stress concentration and corrosion assessment of iron artefacts.
I am also interested in the manufacture and corrosion mechanism of the gold foil applied to the lacquerware. Stereoscopy, metallography, SEM-EDS, Raman, XRD and XPS were used to observe and investigate the manufacturing traces and the mechanism of the extraordinary tarnishing and pitting corrosion phenomena of the gold foil.
Currently, I’m working on developing a 3D stress analysis system and a disease identification network of iron artefacts based on metal magnetic memory, CT and finite element analysis, combining deep-learning.
Key Publications
Gong, Z., Sun, S., Hu, P., Pei, J., Hu, G., 2025. Tarnishing and pitting corrosion mechanisms revealed by nanoparticles on the gold foil of Western Han Dynasty in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China through a multi-analytical approach. Npj Heritage Science 13, 87. https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-01616-y
Gong, Z., Hu, G., 2025. Condition Assessment and Monitoring of Marine Ironware Based on Metal Magnetic Memory Technology: Taking Iron Relics from Nanhai I Shipwreck as an Example基于磁记忆技术的海洋出水铁质文物状态评估与监测——以南海Ⅰ号出水铁器为例. Materials Reports材料导报 2, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.11896/cldb.24030002
Gong, Z., Liu, S., Jia, M., Sun, S., Hu, P., Pei, J., Hu, D., Hu, G., 2024. Analysis of the manufacturing craft of the painted gold foils applied on the lacquerware of the Jin Yang Western Han Dynasty tomb in Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. Heritage Science 12, 207. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01281-7
Zhang, Q., Gong, Z., Wang K.,2024. Research on the Corrosion-inhibiting Method of Mingwa Materials on the Window Covers of Yangxin Hall in the Imperial Palace故宫养心殿后檐窗罩明瓦材料缓蚀方法研究. Conservation and Studies on Cultural Heritage文化遗产保护与研究00, 50-60.
Hu, G., Gong, Z., 2023. A Kind of Metal Magnetic Memory Detection Device Conforming to the Surface of Iron Artefacts with Adjustable Lift-off Value一种铁质文物用表面随形可调提离值金属磁记忆检测装置. CN116223612A.
Gong, Z., Hu, G., 2022. Non-destructive Testing for Iron Artefacts from Nanhai I Shipwreck by Metal Magnetic Memory Technology磁记忆技术对南海一号出水铁质文物的无损检测. Journal of National Museum of China中国国家博物馆馆刊09, 153–160.
Liu, S., Gong, Z., Lu, H., Zhang, W., Ma, Y., Yang, X., Xie, Z., Hu, G., Hu, D., 2022. Optimizing Metallographic Etchants for Ancient Gold and Silver Materials. Metals 12, 1229. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071229
Jia, M., Hu, P., Gong, Z., Sun, J., Cui, Y., Hu, D., Hu, G., 2022. Corrosion Inhibition and Rust Conversion of Catechin on Archaeological Iron of Nanhai I. Metals 12, 714. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050714