Application of Scientific Methods to Archaeological Study : Case Study for Neolithic Cultures in East China
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Chou, Su-Jung
Abstract
Combines 40Ar/39Ar, 14C, thermoluminescence dating techniques and Raman spectrometry the present study investigates artifacts collected from archaeological sites in East China. The results not only suggest constrains for the formation ages of raw Jades, but also provide insight into the technological status of and trade amongst Neolithic cultures in ancient China. hether Neolithic Chinese culture developed singularly or was the result of simultaneous development at different sites in China has long been in debate. Jade artifacts have long been considered as a key indicator of ancient trade activities. Because ancient peoples of China used jade artifacts as symbols of wealth, and political and military power.n the present study, we use 40Ar/39Ar isotopes and mineralogical signatures present in jades to investigate the possible sources of raw materials of jade artifacts unearthed at archaeological sites in East China. Dating results indicate that the raw materials used to make the jade artifacts of Anhui''s Lingjiatan culture and the Liangzhu culture (Tingsadi and Yantun sites) probably formed around 120 million years ago. This age is similar to that of jades found at the nearby Meiling jade mines, Jiangsu. In addition, the chemical and mineral composition of the archaic jades is indistinguishable from that found at this mines, leading us to conclude that jade materials found at these archaeological sites probably originated from Jiangsu’s Meiling mines. By extension, this also indicates that the cultures at Lingjiatan and Liangzhu (Tingsadi and Yantun) likely had material exchanges in East China during the Neolithic Age. We have yet to find evidence of jade trades with groups farther away.n addition to the dating of jade artifacts, red pottery shards unearthed at Anhui’s Lingjiatan and Liangzhu cultural sites were dated using TL (thermoluminescence), OSL (optical thermoluminescence), and AMS (accelerated mass spectrometry) techniques. The results show the Lingjiatan site to be between 5660 to 5300 years old, the Liangzhu culture at the Yantun site to be 5110 to 4560 years old, and the Tingshadi site to be 4500±932 years old. These results suggest that the Lingjiatan culture and the Liangzhu culture may have existed simultaneously for some periods of time.he Raman spectroscopy study of red pottery from the Lingjiatan site reveals the presence of moissanite (SiC). This may indicate shows that ancient Chinese peoples already had the technology to produce hard materials required for making jade artifacts, standing as the first evidence for application of composite materials in ancient China. Such evidence also shows provides a new avenue of research for future studies.
Subjects
Jade artifact
Tremolite
40Ar/39Ar
AMS
TL
Raman
Type
thesis
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