A Comparative Study of Ancient Leather Processing Technology Based on Excavated Documents and Physical Artifacts: A Case Study of the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty

Understanding the relationship between material processing, microstructural evolution, and functional performance is a fundamental issue in modern engineering materials research and provides useful perspectives for the design of advanced fibrous and dielectric materials. Against this background, this study investigates ancient Chinese leather technology through a comparative analysis of excavated technical documents and archaeological artifacts from the Warring States to the Han Dynasty. Focusing on the manufacturing pathway from raw hide to finished products, the study examines the chemical and mechanical treatments applied to stabilize collagen fiber networks and compares the standardized procedures recorded in the Kaogongji with the actual characteristics observed in excavated leather artifacts. Using the well-preserved Yanghai lamellar armor as a representative case, the analysis demonstrates that practical workshop production frequently adopted minimally processed rawhide rather than thoroughly tanned leather in order to maximize hardness and penetration resistance for military applications. The results reveal that ancient artisans deliberately adjusted processing routes according to functional requirements, establishing optimized structure –property relationships instead of rigidly following standardized prescriptions. Furthermore, the combination of rawhide substrates with lacquer coatings illustrates an early multi-material engineering strategy for balancing mechanical strength and environmental durability. This study not only provides new archaeological evidence for understanding ancient leather manufacturing but also offers valuable insights into process optimization and performance-oriented design principles for fibrous materials and composite engineering systems.