Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation," at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Characterizing true jades by chemical variation rather than major mineral components has greatly improved in two decades. Unusual quantities of particular trace minerals (e.g. Wollastonite), elemental ratios (e.g. Mn/Fe), Rare Earth Elements (REE), and isotopes (e.g. strontium) are now known for several source deposits of jade in China. A few can be related to specific archaeological artefacts, though characterization of the latter is impeded by restrictions on destructive techniques. Papers in the first half-session address problems and advances in jade characterization, beginning with a consideration of the tectonic settings for the formation of the true jades: nephrite and jadeitite.

Globally, prehistoric jades have been valued for their specific characteristics, including hardness, colour, and beauty. Frequently used in a ceremonial context, jade practices took on new meanings as they were adopted through time and space. The second half of the session is a cross-regional comparison, representing different prehistoric jade cultures. Papers consider new approaches (for example use wear analysis) in understanding regional and temporal changes in social value, and the implications for the societies involved. Approaches concentrate on the life history of jades (aspects involving production, circulation, consumption, discovery), or on interpreting changes within a specific context.

Other Keywords
Neolithic • Material Culture and Technology • Geoarchaeology • Lithic Analysis • Stone Ornaments • Experimental Archaeology • Use-Wear Analysis • Trade and exchange • Materiality • Mesolithic

Geographic Keywords
Union of Myanmar (Country) • Kyrgyz Republic (Country) • Japan (Country) • Asia (Continent) • Mongolia (Country) • Republic of India (Country) • People's Republic of Bangladesh (Country) • Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Country) • People's Republic of China (Country) • Republic of Korea (Country)

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-8 of 8)

  • Documents (8)
Documents
  • Cultural Biographies of Japanese Jades: Temporal and Spatial Variability during the Jomon Period (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Ilona Bausch.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Jadeitite from the Itoigawa source was highly valued among hunter-gatherers inhabiting the Japanese archipelago during the Jomon period, circulating widely from its discovery during the late Early Jomon (c. 4000 BCE) until the end of the period (c. 400 BCE). While there is some indication that raw...

  • Geological Knowledge about Jadeite Jade (Jadeitite) for the Study of Jadeitite Artifacts (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Tatsuki Tsujimori.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Jadeite jade (jadeitite) is an important material for archeological objects from the middle Jōmon period (~5000–3500 BCE) through the Kofun period (250–710 CE) in Japan. During the last two decades, in the field of geological science, studies of jadeitite worldwide have brought new knowledge about its...

  • The Geology of Nephrite Jade in China and Its Sourcing for Archaeological Comparisons (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Gina Barnes.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The occurrence of nephrite is primarily linked to ophiolite locations around the world and is associated with serpentinite (S-nephrite); however, most nephrite in China is associated with metamorphosed magnesian limestone (dolomarble) deposits (D-nephrite). Characterizing D-nephrite by chemical...

  • Jade and the Illusion of Jade: Gokok and Magatama in Korea and Japan from 250–700CE (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Lauren Glover.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Ritual stone ornaments (gokok and magatama) found in elite burials in Korea and Japan were examined to determine raw material and manufacturing process as well as use life. The primary materials examined were hard jadeite and nephrite, though softer stones such as alabaster/gypsum, amblygonite and...

  • Jade Ear Ornaments with Human-Animal Motif from Prehistoric Taiwan — Design, Technology and Symbolism (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Tsuimei Huang.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Jade ear ornaments with human-animal motif, dating to 2800-2300 BP, have been the most distinctive jewelry from prehistoric Taiwan. Since the first ear ornament of this kind became known in 1982, a total of 41 pieces of such items have been unearthed from 9 archaeological sites. These objects are...

  • Jadeitite Axes in the Aegean and Anatolia–The Emergence of a New Network (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Lasse Sørensen.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The largest known jadeite source in the Aegean is located on the Cycladic island of Syros. During sampling, several patinated flakes and preforms of considerable age were identified, demonstrating, for the first time, the presence of several knapping places around the large jadeite boulders. In order to...

  • Nephrite Jade Mapping in Southeast Asian Prehistory: Petrological and Mineralogical Study of Stone Artifacts (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Yoshiyuki Iizuka.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. On-site and laboratory geochemical analyses have been carried out on jade and jade-like artifacts including unfinished pieces in the mainland of Southeast Asia by p-XRF and SEM-EDS respectively. In Vietnam, the results from more than 100 analyses show that the lingling-Os and double animal-headed...

  • Raw Material Procurement and Production Technologies of Turquoise and Nephrite Jade in Prehistoric China (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Chung Tang. Maya H. Tang.

    This is an abstract from the "Two Approaches to Archaeological Jades: Source Characterization and Social Valuation" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. As gold is for the West, jade has been one of the finest symbolic vehicles in the East since prehistory. In recent years, a large amount of nephrite accessories have been excavated from early Neolithic-Bronze Age archaeological sites in Northeast China, Cis-Baikal, and the Russian Far East, posing...