In order to rapidly and accurately identify Pterocarpus santalinus and Pterocarpus tinctorius wood,pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（PY-GC-MS）and thin layer chromatography（TLC）were used to obtain fluorescence spot numbers and Rf values by contrasting total ions chromatogram produced through rapid pyrolysis at a low temperature,peak time of main components and difference among products of pyrolysis.The two methods were both successful in identifying the two wood species.PY-GC-MS was an effective technique in identifying wood species for precious cultural relics and high-end furniture because of high accuracy and a small sample sizes,while TLC was simple to operate and easy to be applied without aid of large instruments.