Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Jade Burial Custom and Ritual Significance. Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Bi discs were found in large numbers in elite tombs covering bodies from head to toe Bi discs symbolize heavens, social status, and cosmos, paired with jade tubes for afterlife passage The burial custom likely originated from belief that jade preserves the deceased body from rotting
A precisely drilled 8 mm hole in a Denisova Cave bracelet shows high-speed bow or pump drill use 40 kyr ago, echoing drill marks seen on Chinese jade and Egyptian stone.
Key Facts
- Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Bi discs were found in large numbers in elite tombs covering bodies from head to toe
- Bi discs symbolize heavens, social status, and cosmos, paired with jade tubes for afterlife passage
- The burial custom likely originated from belief that jade preserves the deceased body from rotting
- Lingjiatan culture also had jade body-covering burial custom using large jade axes or rectangular slabs
- Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Bi discs covering bodies were made of low-grade nephrite of inferior quality
- These were burial jade, cursory produced to shield the body rather than ritual offerings
- Fine ritualistic jade objects with good materials were placed near head, stomach, and chest of deceased
- This burial custom lasted thousands of years, evolving into jade face masks and later full body jade burial suits in Western Han dynasty around 200 BC
Related site: Ban Chiang Archaeological Site — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: What do Chinese Jade Bi Discs Share with Predynastic Egyptian Stone Vases? by Curious Being