The Research On The Jades In Lingjiatan Site

The research on prehistoric jades has always been a hot topic in academia. Among those prehistoric cultures famous for their jades, Lingjiatan site has highly been attracting scholars' attentions for its unique character. There is a very large amount of jades here and the techniques applied to carve jades are very advanced, compared with other Chinese cultures in the same period. Apart from this, the cultural meanings behind those jades, including social, ritual and religious aspects, are also highly worthy for studies both on Chinese jades themselves and on origins of Chinese civilizations. Therefore, on the basis of previous researches, this thesis introduces both material and social properties of these jades, trying to interpret the social and spiritual life in ancient Lingjiatan. Meanwhile, by means of comparing with surrounding cultures, the thesis explores the probable cultural exchanges between these areas.There are six parts in this thesis.The first part is an introduction, which gives background and significance of this study, and also explains the methodology applied as well as the whole framework.The second part introduces the basic research on Lingjiatan site. It includes the findings of the excavations in Lingjiatan site, the study of the stage and the age, and the analysis of the settlement.The third part introduces the phase characteristics and the jade carving techniques in Lingjiatan. The phase characteristics are analyzed from jade texture, material sources and the secondary changes. While the jade carving techniques are introduced form raw material making, holes drilling, decorating, and polishing.The fourth part is mainly about social properties of jades in Lingjiatan. There are three aspects including classification and function of jades, social stratification, and religious belief in Lingjiatan.The fifth part compares the culture between Lingjiatan and the surrounding areas to explore the cultural exchanges between these areas. The most important goal is to find the common spiritual belief on the eve of entering prehistoric civilization in the eastern China.The sixth part is a conclusion, which summarizes the whole thesis and points out the deficiencies in this thesis.