Three major prehistoric jade cultures have been identified in East Asia: Hongshan (c. 4700-2900 BCE) in far northern China, Lingjiatan (c. 3800-3300 BCE), and Liangzhu (c. 3400-2250 BCE) in the Yangtze Delta. Hongshan culture is notable for jade pig-dragons and the emergence of the coiled jade dragon as a core ritual form. Liangzhu culture produced sophisticated cong tubes and bi discs, with advanced social stratification evident in elite burials. Archaeological evidence shows jade working technologies evolved across these Neolithic cultures over several millennia.
Chinese Neolithic Jade Bi Disc Manufacturing Techniques
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📍 Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City🌍 Show on the globe
Key facts
- Hongshan, Lingjiatan, and Liangzhu are the three major prehistoric jade cultures in China, with Liangzhu being the youngest
- The earliest known jade culture is Shaan in northeast China dating back over 9,000 years
- Shiwa (Xinglongwa) was a mature jade culture from 8,000 years ago
- Hongshan culture dates to 4700-2900 BC
- Lingjiatan culture dates to 3800-3300 BC
- Liangzhu Bi discs typically range from 10-25 cm in diameter, with some exceeding 30 cm
- Jade in ancient China meant beautiful stone and included serpentine and quartz, not just nephrite
- Tool marks include cord/string saw marks leaving curved concave cuts and rigid saw marks leaving straight parallel lines
- Drilling was done using bamboo tube drills with abrasive slurry (quartz, garnet, corundum)
- Biconical drilling from both sides left distinct features with central ridges or ledges
- Liangzhu Bi discs are not perfectly circular and retain manufacturing imperfections
Sources
Hongshan culture - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Hongshan culture ; Neolithic · c. 4700 to 2900 BC · Xinglongwa culture, Xinle culture, Zhaobaogou culture · Xiaoheyan (3000-2000 BCE) Lower Xiajiadian culture (2200 ...
Jade prospers as vanguard of civilization - China Dailychinadailyhk.com
"As a spectacular repertoire, the exhibition displays Lingjiatan culture and its jade artifacts that demonstrate the splendid Neolithic ...
From the Hongshan Culture to Chinese civilization - DeepChinadeepchina.substack.com
Jade dragon-shaped artifacts at Lingjiatan closely match the C-shaped dragons and pig-dragons of Hongshan; the jade crown ornaments strongly ...
New discoveries in prehistoric culture shed light on origin of ...english.scio.gov.cn
Notably, Hongshan, Lingjiatan and Liangzhu are known as the three major jade cultural centers in prehistoric China. Although more than 1,000 ...
The Ancient Secrets Buried in Jade - Sixth Tonesixthtone.com
A window to the past in Lingjiatan. Since its first excavation in 1921, the Hongshan culture had long been considered the only major jade culture in ancient ...
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