Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Burnt jade sacrifices in the Chinese Neolithic

The Liangzhu cemetery at Sidun

Bibliographic Data

ID3781423
AuthorsRong Wang (0000-0003-1070-1460), Yunyi Mai (0000-0001-5121-4840), Liugen Lin (Zhejiang University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume96
Issue390
Pages1495-1514
Publication date2022-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAntiquity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-598X • E-ISSN: 1745-1744
PublisherAntiquity Publications (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.15184/aqy.2022.101
OpenAlexW4306157673
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited6

Oracle bone inscriptions of the late Shang Dynasty (1250-1046 BC) record the burning of jade as a ceremonial sacrifice, a practice now corroborated archaeologically. The origins of ceremonial jade burning, however, are unclear. Using archaeometric methods and experimental archaeology, the authors examine an assemblage of jade objects from the late Liangzhu-period (2600-2300 BC) cemetery of Sidun. The cause of the jades' variable surface colours has been long debated. The results presented here demonstrate that the colour changes relate to alterations in chemical composition due to exposure to fire. The evidence from Sidun confirms that the burning of jade in China commenced more than a millennium earlier than previously documented

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Assemblage (archaeology) · China · JADE (particle detector) · Period (music) · Shang dynasty · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · History

  • Food Production and Landscape Reconstruction of Liangzhu Culture Village (5000–4600 B.P.)—Archaeobotanical Evidence from the Site of Zhumucun, Southern China

    Open Access•Xiaodan Zheng, Fan Yang et al.•Quaternary•2025

  • Artificial Cengqing in the “Five Stones”

    Open Access•Shasha Long, Zhimin Li et al.•Archaeometry•2026

  • On Liangzhu Culture Tremolite-Tempered Pottery

    Open Access•Xiaohan Zhao, Ye Zhao et al.•Journal of Archaeological Science•2024

  • Network analysis of jade artifacts in Liangzhu

    Open Access•Jae-Seong Hong, Shengqian Chen•Journal of Archaeological Science•2025

  • A Preliminary Study on the Social Organization Patterns of the Liangzhu Culture in the Northern Taihu Plain, China

    Open Access•Xuke Shen, Chenglong Yu et al.•Geoarchaeology•2026

  • The Identification of Jade Work Sawing Microwear Marks and Archaeological Implications for Prehistoric Technology in North China

    Shuwen Ma, Jian Zhang et al.•Lithic Technology•2024

  • Liángzhū Tourism-Archaeological Park

    Open Access•Tongtong Zheng, Wenbin Wei•L Anthropologie•2025

  • The technology of jades excavated at the Western Zhou, Jin Marquis cemetery, Tianma-Qucun, Beizhao, Shanxi province

    Open Access•Margaret Sax, Kunzhang Ji•Journal of Archaeological Science•2012

  • A jade parrot from the tomb of Fu Hao at Yinxu and Liao sacrifices of the Shang Dynasty

    Open Access•Rong Wang, Chang-Sui Wang et al.•Antiquity•2018

  • The emergence of complex society in China

    Open Access•Colin Renfrew, Bin Liu•Antiquity•2018

Unique citing works7
Citations per year3,5
Citation span2024 - 2026 (3)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 5
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae