Ancient jades map 3,000 years of prehistoric exchange in Southeast Asia.
We have used electron probe microanalysis to examine Southeast Asian nephrite (jade) artifacts, many archeologically excavated, dating from 3000 B.C. through the first millennium A.D. The research has revealed the existence of one of the most extensive sea-based trade networks of a single geological material in the prehistoric world. Green nephrite from a source in eastern Taiwan was used to make two very specific forms of ear pendant that were distributed, between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D., through the Philippines, East Malaysia, southern Vietnam, and peninsular Thailand, forming a 3,000-km-diameter halo around the southern and eastern coastlines of the South China Sea. Other Taiwan nephrite artifacts, especially beads and bracelets, were distributed earlier during Neolithic times throughout Taiwan and from Taiwan into the Philippines.
Hung
Hsiao-Chun
HC
Departments of Archaeology and Natural History and Information Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. hung@coombs.anu.edu.au
Iizuka
Yoshiyuki
Y
Bellwood
Peter
P
Nguyen
Kim Dung
KD
Bellina
Bérénice
B
Silapanth
Praon
P
Dizon
Eusebio
E
Santiago
Rey
R
Datan
Ipoi
I
Manton
Jonathan H
JH
D001106:Archaeology; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D003132:Commerce / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors