Production and Circulation of Fine Black Wares in Late Neolithic Shandong

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Technology, Production, and Social Changes in Chinese Archaeology" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

A debated issue for the late Neolithic, Longshan period in eastern China is the nature of the production and circulation of fine black wares. Southeastern Shandong is especially distinguished by the quantity of vessels that have fine paste, polished black surfaces, and elegant forms—yet direct evidence for production in the form of kilns remains elusive. Some publications argue for elite control of fine wares while others hypothesize that independent production was prevalent. Collection of numerous fine paste sherds from sites of varying sizes during our regional survey in southeastern Shandong from 1995 to 2007 provides a good opportunity to shed light on the production and circulation of black wares during the early and middle Longshan period. Our LA-ICP-MS analyses of sherds suggest widespread access to the technologies and skills necessary for production of the fine black wares. The data for both Longshan phases suggest multiple production units, a pattern supported by other lines of evidence including petrographic analysis for both coarse wares and fine wares. Although there was some local and long-distance transport of vessels during both phases, it appears that long-distance circulation of vessels increased during the middle Longshan period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Technology, Production, and Social Changes in Chinese Archaeology

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53150