Lingjiatan Jade Archaeological Research

Lingjiatan archaeological site, one of the most important sites excavated these years, is located in the Yangtze river downstream, which is a shinning pearl of the region's prehistoric civilization. This site has gigantic scale and rich cultural heritages, in which burial jade articles gain much attention, whether the number or the species. It is really a breakthrough finding in the Yangtze river downstream area. This batch of jade stratigraphic is clear in relationship, amount, complete, and rich in type. The research for this batch of jade is to explore the cultural properties and face one of the effective ways. This paper focuses on the systematic typology analysis of Semi-Annular Jade, Jade-Yue, Jade-Jue and wheel jade of Lingjiatan archaeological site, on which basis to explore the evolution rule of these jade types, and further speculate the social factors of its disappearance or development. From the volume of unearthed jade and pottery, we can see that the proportion difference between them is gradually diminishing, namely gradual jade quantity decrease and pottery quantity increase. Pottery dou, pottery jar and pottery pot are more common in the combination of pottery types. Semi-Annular Jade and Jade tube are relatively common types in earlier times, but jade tube gradually disappear. Jade bracelet, Jade-Jue, Jade ring and other ware types increase gradually. No longer a majority, they appear a vie trend. From the amount and type of excavated jade in burial distribution position, we can know the burial there is of some planning and regularity, they can be divided into several small units. There is obvious burial group relationship, which should be a kind of social status reflection.The jade eagle, Jade people, Jade dragon and Jade turtle shell excavated from Lingjiatan archaeological site are a series of special modelling of jade, which is an important sign different from other cultures. Through analysis of these jade full of spiritual meaning, we can speculate that Lingjiatan archaeological site already has the primitive religious beliefs, but still in the initial stage, unlike the octagonal jade badge of Liangzhu culture as forming path scale. This may be the cultural feature of the independent Lingjiatan archaeological site, also may be the cultural feature of this period represented on Lingjiatan archaeological site. From the unearthed Jade-Yue, Semi-Annular Jade and Jade ornaments we can discuss the social meaning, according to the distribution location and the types and variety of excavated jades, that Lingjiatan can reflect society level. The summary mentions, in Lingjiatan culture period, the development of productive forces, handicraft progress reflect differentiation, hierarchy and advocating wealth religious beliefs and military activities, and may exist with surrounding other tribe alliance.Besides, Lingjiatan Culture with Xuejiagang Culture, Beiyinyangying Culture, Dawenkou Culture, Liangzhu Culture exist mutual influence in excavated jades, whose research reveals the relationship between the prehistoric culture of downstream areas from some aspects. This paper focuses on the analysis of the same jade excavated from these cultures, attempting to find the close contact between them. We found that Lingjiatan Culture not completely belongs to native culture development, it has a lot of other cultures and monitoring in this basis formed their own culture.