The Regional Differences And Characteristics Of Chinese Jade Culture In The Neolithic Age

The excavated jades have distinct regional characteristics in the sites of the Neolithic Age so that constitutes different jade cultural circles. Every jade cultural circle originated and developed independently in the early and middle Neolithic Age. Until the late Neolithic Age, there were distinct regional characteristics; moreover, there also have exchanges and integrations among different jade cultural circles, and ultimately, the middle and lower reaches of Yellow River collected the jade cultural factors of different jade cultural circles. This was the initial accumulation of the upcoming Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties'brilliant jade culture.The article is divided into four parts:The first part is an introduction. It gives a brief description of Neolithic jade cultural and jade cultural circle; it also introduced the history and current status of Neolithic jade culture, significance and methods of the research.The second part is the study of the regional characteristics of Neolithic jade culture. According to the material, shape and decoration, creative foundation and value of Neolithic jade, there are divided into three jade cultural circles:the Liao River jade cultural circle, the Yellow River jade cultural circle and the Yangtze River jade cultural circle. The characteristics of different jade cultural circles are described and summarized in this part.The third part is the comparisons among different jade cultural circles. The Yellow River jade cultural circle is chosen as a reference, representative jade are selected to compare with the Liao River jade cultural circle and the Yangtze River jade cultural circle respectively.The forth part is the conclusion. Jade of the three river basin in the Neolithic Age originated and developed independently; after a period, the Yellow River jade cultural circle was influenced by the Liao River jade cultural circle and the Yangtze River jade circle, it also absorbed the factors of the jade cultures of the North and the South, especially the etiquette factors; finally, it became the center of jade culture in the late Neolithic Age.