This study sheds light on the origin and trade routes of early red coral artifacts found in Xinjiang, primarily dating to the Han and Jin dynasties. The red coral relics examined, excavated from the Shengjindian cemetery of the Western Han Dynasty in Turpan, offer critical insights into the material’s provenance and its introduction to this pivotal region along the ancient Silk Road. Advanced gemological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses—utilizing computed tomography (CT), laser Raman spectroscopy, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)—has revealed distinctive features. These include red coloration, a waxy luster, concentric ring structures in cross-section, and calcareous composition, identifying the coral as Sardinian (Corallium rubrum), likely originating from the western Mediterranean region. The findings carry significant archaeological implications. Red coral first appears in the archaeological record in Xinjiang during the Western Han period, facilitated by the thriving Silk Road trade and the expanding influence of Buddhist culture. This study not only confirms the Mediterranean origin of these artifacts but also highlights their integration into the cultural and economic networks of ancient Xinjiang, underscoring the significance of early long-distance trade and cultural exchange.

This study reinterprets a selection of elite tombs at the Majiayuan Cemetery (4th–3rd centuries BCE) as belonging to Xirong ritual specialists. Analysis reveals a stratified ritual system: beaded caps served as widespread elite cosmograms, while specialized, hip-suspended bronze mirrors were restricted to a few. Situating these objects within broader Inner Asian traditions demonstrates the caps connected wearers to the spirit world, and that the mirrors functioned as active spirit-conduits, marking their bearers as specialized mediators. Examination of the material evidence further reveals Xirong ritual as a purposeful synthesis, selectively adapting imported and local mirror technologies to serve a coherent local cosmology. Mortuary parity between these specialists and martial elites—sharing high-status goods like chariots—indicates spiritual authority was a foundational pillar of Xirong power, valued equally with martial prowess. This interpretation of the Xirong places them as agentive architects of a hybrid ritual system and as vital cultural intermediaries on the Warring States frontier.