The Primary Exploration Of Prehistoric Jade In Haidai Region

As an important kind of cultural relics, jadeware and the relevant researches have always been a academic focus.The Haidai Region is located in the adjacent area of Liaodong Peninsula, Lower -Middle Yangtze River, Middle Yellow River as well as other regions, thus plays a critical role as junction for cultural communication. In this case, apart from native characteristics, the jadeware of Haidai Region also shows features of both cultural dispersal and communication, becoming an essential part of the prehistoric jade-culture in East China. Large quantities of jadeware have been recovered in this area along with various types and advanced skills, which contains abundant information about the jade manufacturing, society and ritual affairs. On the basis of the existing researches, periodization and characteristics of those unearthed jade objects in Haidai Region will be summarized in this dissertation, after which I would like to study more on the manufacturing, leading to the cultural communication and influence to the jadeware of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties eventually.Because no specific jade workshop has been found before in Haidai Region, the main methods I took in this dissertation are simulating experiments and comparison on the manufacturing marks between unearthed jade objects and the experimental ones in order to restore the ancient manufacturing skills and the post processing. After those work above, I intend to come up with the jade manufacturing features during Houli-Beixin Culture, Early Dawenkou Culture, Middle-Late Dawenkou Culture and Longshan Culture.Jade materials, semi-finished and finished products along with production techniques are of great value to understand the cultural communication in the relevant regions. Three target areas including Haidai Region, Liaodong Peninsula and Lower Yangtze River were chosen in my dissertation and I would like to make some discussion on the interaction between these three region through the study on jade types, manufacturing techniques and other aspects. Besides, the styles of the jade objects in Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties have received influence of those in Haidai Region straightforwardly and indirectly in terms of jade types and manufacturing skills.