Resources, Technological Traditions, and Social Networks: A Study of Late Neolithic Cooking Vessels in the Lake Taihu Region

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Resources and Society in Ancient China" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

During the Songze cultural period, there were two distinct technological pathways for the production of pottery cooking vessels, including Ding (tripod) and Yan (steamer), used in the vicinity of Lake Taihu. In areas like southern Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Jiaxing, plant debris was commonly mixed with clay to create fiber-tempered vessels. In contrast, areas like Anji and Yuhang primarily used mineral tempers. This division in culture and technology can be attributed to geographical separation. During the mid Holocene period, a significant marine transgression occurred, possibly connecting Lake Taihu to the Qiantang River near Linping and forming a bay. While the bay gradually filled with sediment by the Songze culturual period, it is plausible that residual water bodies remained. These rivers and lakes acted as barriers, separating the hilly region of Tianmu Mountain from the main Songze cultural area in the southeast and northeast of Lake Taihu. Consequently, the exchange of materials and interactions of social groups was impeded, leading to the gradual emergence of distinct social networks in each region. As a result, communities adapted to their specific environments and developed unique technological traditions of tempers. This will serve as crucial clues for interpreting the formation process of the Liangzhu culture.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Resources and Society in Ancient China   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38586.0