Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials

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 "Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials," at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In ancient Chinese frontier zones which comprised lands with unique geomorphological features and ecosystems across different climate zones, archaeological landscapes point to the existence of regional cultures that progressed independently from direct impacts from the Chinese central plains. Very often they also suggest communications between the frontier groups and outsider cultures. While remarkable quantities of archaeological data from field work highlight different aspects of these frontier cultures, an increasing number of multidisciplinary research methods and analyses recently made available also assist in identifying distinct attributes of these cultures, as well as in exploring issues surrounding the dynamics of cultural interaction and technological exchange. With the most updated research tools in hand, authors in this session present the results of case studies using materials known through recent excavations at sites in ancient Chinese borderlands.

Other Keywords
Bronze Age • Archaeometry & Materials Analysis • Frontiers and Borderlands • Chronology • Mortuary Analysis • Dating Techniques • Settlement patterns • Material Culture and Technology • Archaeometry & Materials Analysis: Residue Analysis

Geographic Keywords
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) • Union of Myanmar (Country) • People's Republic of China (Country) • Republic of Korea (Country)

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  • Documents (5)
Documents
  • Bronzes, Mortuary Ritual and the Rise of Political Power in the NE Frontier of Ancient China: A case study of Upper Xiajiadian Burials (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Yan Sun.

    This is an abstract from the "Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. This study focuses on manipulation of bronzes of different styles, and mortuary rituals overall, during in the emergence of political power in the northeastern frontier of ancient China. Data are presented on three richly furnished burials M101 at Nanshan’gen and M8501 and M9601 at Xiaoheishigou of the...

  • Exploring the Emergence of the Dian (Shizhaishan) Culture: a view from settlement study (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Xiaohong Wu. TzeHuey Chiou-Peng.

    This is an abstract from the "Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. As archaeological data from settlement sites of eastern Yunnan were largely absent until very recently, the Bronze Age culture in the area was interpreted through materials taken from burials around Lake Dian and nearby regions. These mortuary data provide a picture of socially stratified and materially...

  • Recent Research on the Settlement Sites of the Dian Culture of Yunnan: excavations at Xueshan and Shangxihe Sites (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Zhilong Jiang.

    This is an abstract from the "Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Dian culture of Yunnan is known for production and use of bronze artifacts exhibiting remarkable artistic and technical features. However, for most of the 20th century our understanding of Dian culture was based mainly on materials from burials around Lake Dian. Meanwhile, little was known about the...

  • Scientific Analysis of Metals from the Yinsuodao Site, Yunnan Province (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Jianfeng Cui. Rui Min.

    This is an abstract from the "Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Up to now, the Yinsuodao site is one of the earliest Bronze Age sites known in Yunnan Province. This work will present the results of metallographic and lead isotope analyses of a number of metals discovered at this site. The metallographic studies suggest that the metal technology at Yinsuodao represents...

  • A Study of Flexed Burials in the Central Lake Region of Yunnan: from Neolithic to Bronze Age (2019)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Shanshan Wei.

    This is an abstract from the "Recent Research on Early Chinese Borderland Cultures and Archaeological Materials" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The flexed burial is a distinct burial style that has prevailed in various regions of China since ancient time. Scholarly interest in flexed burials in the Central Lake region (Lake Dian and adjacent lands) of Yunnan began after discovery of a grave in 1955 during the excavation of the ancient necropolis...