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An analytical research of the carving technology and the purpose of using a typical nephrite handle-shaped artefact from the Fu Hao Tomb (1250–1192 BC) in China

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Abstract

The Fu Hao Tomb is one of the most representative Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) royal tombs, and the handle-shaped artefact unearthed from this tomb is a special jade object manufactured during the Three Dynasties Period (the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, c. 2000–200 BC). For a long time, the manufacturing technology and the function of handle-shaped object remain an unsolved problem in academic research. In this article, one piece of the typical handle-shaped artefact from the Fu Hao Tomb (c. 1250–1192 BC) is analysed by utilising Raman spectrometer and scanning electron microscope and observed by a microscope to investigate the carving technology and the purpose of their usage. The results suggest that the carving technologies applied on the handle-shaped artefact are different among various sections of its body: the bottom part is rougher than the other parts, which indicate the bottom is connected to other objects by mortise and tenon joints. This type of artefact should be considered as the origin of a new form of handle-shaped artefacts manufactured during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1122–771 BC). Combined with previous work, the authors suggest the handle-shaped artefacts were used as a form of sacrificial offering during celebrations and funerals in ancient times.

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Funding

This research was supported by Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project from the Ministry of Education of China (MOE, No. 19YJAZH130) and Digital Map of Cultural Heritage: Pilot Study of the Archaeological Sites at the Xili region, Shenzhen (Project Number: SZ2019B034).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Chaolong Yue

  2. Institute of Cultural Heritage and History of Science & Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Jian Zhu

  3. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China

    Guoding Song

  4. Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Guoding Song

  5. Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences in Shenzhen: Cultural Heritage Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Jigen Tang

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  1. Chaolong Yue
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  2. Jian Zhu
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  3. Guoding Song
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  4. Jigen Tang
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Correspondence to Chaolong Yue.

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Yue, C., Zhu, J., Song, G. et al. An analytical research of the carving technology and the purpose of using a typical nephrite handle-shaped artefact from the Fu Hao Tomb (1250–1192 BC) in China. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 13, 56 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01301-8

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