A Study On The Origin And Formation Of Chinese Civilization Through The Jade Article Of Early Ancient Period

China is the unique one whose civilization is continuous in the four ancient civilized countries. Undoubtedly, to study the origin of its form and the character of its formation is of world-wide significance. Ceremony civilization is the most distinctive feature of Chinese civilization and ceremonial utensils are the substantial carrier of ceremony civilization. Jade article is the most important and typical of the ceremonial utensils. For utensils, jade article is the most important in the origin and in the process of the formation of ceremony civilization. For ceremonial utensils, in the civilization of the three-dynasties, especially in the ceremony civilization of this period, ceremonial jade article and bronze utensil lay particular emphasis on their status differently.In order to interpret the above-mentioned views, based on the widely collected documents and archeological data, this thesis set off the discussion in the following three aspects. First, jade article was important substantial carrier in the early period of the formation of Chinese civilization. According to the five ceremonies— auspicious, inauspicious, fine, guest, military, —we analyze the jade articles' distinctive status and important effect in the ceremony civilization. Second, according to the occurrence and evolution of the jade articles, to seek the origin and formation process of Chinese civilization, we may draw a conclusion that the occurrence and evolution of the jade articles was consistent with the origin and formation process of Chinese civilization. The early jade articles (ca.8200-6000 years ago) all possessed the feature of practical implements. The number was small, the kind was single, the shape was small and the quality of jade was rather bad. But because they were rare, precious, hard to carve, mysterious, they were mainly owed by the higher stratum of a clan, witches or warriors. They had obvious primitive mental civilization genes from the very beginning. As for the late period of Neolithic age(ca.5500-4000 years ago),the manufacture of jade articles appeared a prosperous prospect, Hongshan 红山 culture in the eastnorth of China, Liangzhu 良渚 culture in the eastsouth of China andLingjiatan 凌家滩 site of Anhui province are the representatives. In this period, the kinds of jade articles were various, the shapes got larger than before, the veins appeared to be mysterious and exquisite, the quality was quite fine, and the technical level of manufacture was rather excellent. The evolution of the shapes, veins and the quality of jade articles show that the function was not just confined to practical implements, but they were more and more being used in religious and ritual situations, and gradually changed to ceremonial jade articles. Third, we try to analyze the connection of jade articles and some continents of the formation of Chinese civilization. Through the investigation of the different relations of jade articles with the development of productive forces, break-up of the poor and the rich, Chinese characters, primitive religion and so on, we may see that the formation process of jade article was also the gradually breeding and development process of the continents of Chinese civilization. We absolutely may study the origin and formation of Chinese civilization with the jade article and jade culture as the special continents, and judge the formation of ceremony civilization and even Chinese civilization based on the entire formation of ceremonial jade articles.