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A jade parrot from the tomb of Fu Hao at Yinxu and Liao sacrifices of the Shang Dynasty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2018

Rong Wang*
Affiliation:
Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
Chang-sui Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 19 A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
Ji-gen Tang
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 27 Wangfujing Street, Beijing 100710, P.R. China
*
*Author for correspondence (Email: wangrong@fudan.edu.cn)
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Abstract

The importance of jade in the burnt offerings of the Shang Dynasty known as ‘Liao sacrifice’ has long been known from documentary evidence, but has yet to be scientifically verified. We present the results of non-destructive analyses of a jade parrot excavated from the tomb of imperial consort Fu Han at Yinxu in Henan Province. Analyses revealed the presence of diopside, an outcome of phase transition from tremolite resulting from heating in antiquity. This provides the first scientific evidence that the Shang Dynasty used jade in Liao sacrifice, and confirms oracle bone inscriptions and later records concerning the ritual.

Information

Type
Research
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2018 
Figure 0

Table 1. Excavated jade with suspected heating traces before Shang in China.

Figure 1

Figure 1. Excavation at the tomb of Fu Hao (Institute of Archaeology 1980: pl. Ⅱ).

Figure 2

Figure 2. Two sides of the jade parrot 1976AXT-M5:993 (left and middle) and its image under transmitted light (right).

Figure 3

Figure 3. The enlarged view of the area indicated by the arrow on the second image in Figure 2.

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Table 2. The value of Lab and glossiness of the sample (1976AXT-M5:993).

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Figure 4. Raman spectra for areas with different colours on the sample (1976AXT-M5:993).

Figure 6

Figure 5. Infrared spectra for areas with different colours on the sample.

Figure 7

Table 3. Infrared spectra bands and assignments of areas with different colours on sample (νs = symmetric stretching vibration; νas = anti-symmetric stretching vibration; δ = bending vibration).

Figure 8

Figure 6. X-ray fluorescence spectra for areas with different colours on the sample.

Figure 9

Figure 7. The micro morphology and EXD content analysis of the yellowish-white area on the sample.

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