Ritualized Pigs and the Origins of Complex Society
Hypotheses Regarding the Hongshan Culture
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20380717 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nelson (0000-0003-4721-8712, University of Denver, corresponding author), Sarah M Nelson |
| Year | 1995 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Pages | 1-16 |
| Publication date | 1995-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Early China (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0362-5028 • E-ISSN: 2325-2324 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0362502800004417 |
| OpenAlex | W2477851130 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 11 |
Pigs are prominent in the ceremonial and ritual iconography of the Hongshan culture, including jade pig-dragons found in high-status burials, a life-sized pig statue made of unbaked clay, and a mountain that resembles a pig. To attempt to link real pigs with the iconography, the place of actual pigs in the society is examined. Continuity of artifact types from sites 7000-3500 B.C. allows the assumption that pigs were initially important in the subsistence base. I suggest that pig iconography implies pig rituals, and that the pig rituals may have aided in the formation of an elite class. The elite are archaeologically manifested in the elaborate tombs, and their existence can also be inferred by the need for managers in creating the tombs and the artifacts within, as well as in procuring jade and possibly copper
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Biology · Elite · Iconography · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Statue · Anthropology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · History · Law · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
The Archaeology of Rank
The Local Cultures of South and East China
The Archaeology of Northeast China
The Archaeology of Ancient China
Inner Asian Frontiers of China
Burials, Pigs, and Political Prestige in Neolithic China [and Comments and Reply]
The Neolithic of northeastern China and Korea
Food in Chinese Culture
On Pigs in Subsistence Agriculture
Racism and Everyday DiscourseMapping the Language of Racism
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,17 |
| Citation span | 2003 - 2026 (24) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |