Archaeological Study of Ostrich Eggshell Beads Collected from Shuidonggou

Summary

Ostrich eggshell beads and fragments collected from Shuidonggou (SDG) reflect primordial art and symbolic behavior of modern humans. Based on stratigraphic data and OSL dating, these ostrich eggshell beads probably date to the Early Holocene ( 10 ka BP). Two different prehistoric manufacturing pathways are usually used in the manufacture of ostrich eggshell beads in the Upper Paleolithic. According to statistical analyses of the characteristics of ostrich eggshell beads, Pathway 1 is identified from the SDG collections. In pathway 1, blanks are drilled prior to being trimmed to rough discs. These objects exhibit great potential for the study of the origin of primordial art and the development of ancient cultures, and provide important data for studying behavioral options adopted by hominids in the SDG area. In addition, they bear important implications for the origin of modern humans in East Asia.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Recent Advances in Chinese Zooarchaeology

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16437