A Preliminary Evaluation Of The Term "Jade Age" From An Archaeological Perspective

With the discovery of archaeological cultures like Honghsan,Liangzhu,Qujialing(Shijiahe),Dawenkou(Shangdong)and Longshan,renowned Chinese and international archaeologists have proposed and defended the existence of a “Jade Age” in China.This age roughly corresponds with the end of the Neolithic Period to the beginning of the Xia/Shang/Zhou period.The existence of a “Jade Age”,understood as a different stage of evolution between the “Stone Age” and the “Bronze Age”,had originally been described in the 1836 classical “Three Ages System” developed by Christian Jurgensen Thomsen.This description has since sparked rich debate between its supporters and those who subscribe to the belief that this concept cannot successfully be applied to the development of Chinese civilization.In this thesis,I explore the concept of “Jade Age” and the arguments that various authors have proposed both in favor of it and against it.Thereafter,I analyze archaeological information related to jade that has been recovered in several excavation sites belonging to the late Neolithic cultures of the Yangtze River area(the Liangzhu Culture,the Qujialing/Shijiahe Culture,and the Baodun Culture)to test some of the arguments used in the ongoing debate of the “Jade Age” of China.This thesis has therefore been divided into five segments.· An introduction to the term “Jade Age”,its historical development from the Han Dynasty texts up to modern times and how it has been integrated into the classical Thomsen's “Three Ages System”.Afterwards I present a compilation of the arguments of different authors supporting or rejecting the concept of the “Jade Age”.· In the second part I relate the “Jade Age” concept to archaeological data and how some authors have understood this concept based on it.· The third part begins with a brief introduction of the Late Neolithic Period.Thereafter,I carry out an analysis on the quantity and types of jade found inside of burials from the Late Neolithic Period of the Yangtze River that have been recovered in archaeological excavations.· In the fourth part,I analyse the compiled data,discussing whether it supports or rejects arguments related to the existence of a “Jade Age”.Finally,I discuss the possibility of future research on the “Jade Age”.· Bibliography.