Tao Li | Wuhan University (original) (raw)

Papers by Tao Li

Research paper thumbnail of Triangulation supports agricultural spread of the Transeurasian languages

Nature, 2021

Recent breakthroughs in ancient DNA sequencing have made us rethink the connections between human... more Recent breakthroughs in ancient DNA sequencing have made us rethink the connections between human, linguistic and cultural expansions across Eurasia. Compared to western Eurasia 9-11 , however, eastern Eurasia remains poorly understood. Northeast Asia-the vast region encompassing Inner Mongolia, the Yellow, Liao and Amur River basins, the Russian Far East, the Korean peninsula and the Japanese Islandsremains especially under-represented in the recent literature. With a few exceptions that are heavily focused on genetics 12-14 or limited to reviewing existing datasets 4 , truly interdisciplinary approaches to Northeast Asia are scarce. The linguistic relatedness of the Transeurasian languages-also known as 'Altaic'-is among the most disputed issues in linguistic prehistory. Transeurasian denotes a large group of geographically adjacent languages stretching across Europe and northern Asia, and includes five uncontroversial linguistic families: Japonic, Koreanic, Tungusic, Mongolic, and Turkic (Fig. 1a). The question of whether

Research paper thumbnail of 中国古代纸币及当票的颜料与纤维

Research paper thumbnail of 无损鉴别古纸涂层及涂料的新方法

中国造纸, 2019

：Previous studies on characterizing ancient Chinese coated papers rely mainly on microscopic obse... more ：Previous studies on characterizing ancient Chinese coated papers rely mainly on microscopic observations and/or elemental analy• sis of the paper' s surface，which are often subjective in interpreting the observations and analytical results. Exploration of new methodolo• gies that produce more reliable results with clearer judging criteria is needed. The present research applied jointly Micro-Computed Tomogra• phy(micro-CT)and Raman spectroscopy to the samples of both ancient and modern handmade Chinese papers for the first time. As suggest• ed by the results，micro-CT could distinguish between coated and uncoated papers as well as between single-side and double-side coated pa• pers. Raman spectroscopy could characterize or identify the coating pigment(as well as other substances)in the coating layer. The new methodology established here was completely non-destructive and could produce scientifically conclusive results regarding the coating layer and coating pigment，which offered new insights into the manufacture of ancient Chinese coated papers.

Research paper thumbnail of 道教人物画像颜料的原位无损分析

文物保护与考古科学, 2010

~ 1fJ T tu~ ~ ~~ ~a1 ?JT-Oeffl ~ttJ¥4. itJIJ11=tt*, ~ iiE~ f~n& ~. ~2¥1f. Jt1-t .H ¥ tt*~M ~l.JL.... more ~ 1fJ T tu~ ~ ~~ ~a1 ?JT-Oeffl ~ttJ¥4. itJIJ11=tt*, ~ iiE~ f~n& ~. ~2¥1f. Jt1-t .H ¥ tt*~M ~l.JL. ~ ®*!f ~~ *~~~~~~*PT~*~~~~-~~-fil 3:m • .t1t '1r, ~PT JJ-13JJ nffi ~ J¥4 ~ M ~-§:~w 1.JL • }X\, f-t ~ ~' ~1~~ 1*1F (iJtl:tllJ ~-§.i:p ~-§.%~mi)t;£ 1~~ 1fl-f!i ~ f § ,~, 0

Research paper thumbnail of 古代造纸原料的历时性变化及其潜在意义

中国造纸, 2018

• / f3 "%':r-t~:tJJ *mtt#ff £R.Jtf:E4iffi!t~JJ;_tEt-JD\Iffl " : r_m § tt#~J-E~f:Erfr'1'1i :g 3f C... more • / f3 "%':r-t~:tJJ *mtt#ff £R.Jtf:E4iffi!t~JJ;_tEt-JD\Iffl " : r_m § tt#~J-E~f:Erfr'1'1i :g 3f C7) 201 7 if 9=1 OO:U!t!J;I~ 10 r_m~r !fH~BJE C 13) tUH-t\rilJ 9=1 OOm1~ =-§J* §tM&1:!L*lti&-ilr (25) tiE ~1,t\rilJ Jl.J JtOO~?Fm 1~ OptiConceptM f;lt 1UltiZ:tj:tJc 1UUM&1:.r~(41) l&CilOOI~ilt nHil.~R ifll i::~ It i:p ~ m ~JJ;1iJf J?: ~ 1~ * m * i:p oo flitl #t m ~JJ;1iJf J?: ~in rOJ c 59) * r 1iE ~ i:p oo :U!tJJ;~~~-t ;\.JiI!~#if~it :>cEt-JJfil9i!J (68) YJ1: 11il't~;iZ;i'JJHi~V*l 5t1:. (76)

Research paper thumbnail of 基于无损化学分析和家户尺度上的陶器网络研究

西北大学文物保护技术专业创立三十周年论文集, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of 黑水城遗址出土西夏时期染色纸张的分析

西夏研究, 2017

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Research paper thumbnail of Pottery production at the Miaodigou site in central China: Archaeological and archaeometric evidence

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

The Miaodigou culture in central China had far-reaching influence across much of the Late Neolith... more The Miaodigou culture in central China had far-reaching influence across much of the Late Neolithic China, leading to the formation of some would call 'Early China'. Its exquisitely painted pottery with highly stylized patterns is especially well-known to East Asian archaeologists. The Miaodigou culture is represented by archaeological remains of Phase I (3800-3300 BCE) of the Miaodigou site in present-day Sanmenxia City of Henan Province. While a high level of specialization in pottery production has long been assumed for the Miaodigou site (and the culture as well), it has not been systematically demonstrated and discussed. The present study focuses on the Phase I utilitarian pottery-most of which are plain but some are painted-recently unearthed from the Miaodigou site. By combining archaeological and archaeometric evidence, including chemical compositional analysis (hhXRF) and mineral identification (XRD), we, for the first time, discuss pottery production at the very center of the Miaodigou culture. We reveal an overall compositional uniformity in the Miaodigou utilitarian pottery that largely exists across different pastes, colors, vessel forms, form-deduced functions, stages, and spatial units. Our results attest to the high intensity and technological continuity of pottery production at the Miaodigou site, confirming that the site was a regional production center through much of the Miaodigou culture period. We suggest that the centralized production of pottery had taken place at the Miaodigou site.

Research paper thumbnail of Centralization and its importance in revealing production and distribution of archaeological pottery

Academia Letters, 2021

Researchers since Vere Gordon Childe (1892-1957) have generally accepted the idea that craft prod... more Researchers since Vere Gordon Childe (1892-1957) have generally accepted the idea that craft production and social complexity was closely interrelated, despite their differing opinions on whether craft production was a cause for, or a result of, social changes [1]. Many, while investigating the relationship between the two, paid great attention to 'specialization' and characterized it by the intensity, scale, or concentration of craft production [2]. However, the meaning of 'specialization' is often defined implicitly, (sometimes) vague, and likely difficult to be useful for cross-regional or cross-cultural comparison. What people mean by 'specialization' can vary substantially from one case study to another [3]. Here, I propose that 'centralization' may be a better concept than specialization in revealing the producer-consumer relation and evaluating the role of craft production in developing social complexity. I limit my discussion to prehistoric settled, pottery-producing and pottery-consuming populations. My understanding of 'centralization' was inspired by what Carla M. Sinopoli called 'centralized production', namely the 'large-scale and spatially segregated production by specialists, without inputting any direct involvement by the administrative apparatus of the state in such production system' (Sinopoli 1988:581) [4]. I suggest a modified version of that definition has the potentials in revealing pottery production and distribution in prehistoric societies. I define centralization of pottery production as the manufacture of exceptionally huge quantities of pottery at a centralized locale, directed by tradition, supply and demand, or market and with (or without) full-time specialists or elites (leaders). Here, 'a centralized locale' refers to the place that generated the strongest centripetal force on a regional scale and attracted populations from neighboring sites (usually, this means a spatial extent beyond the village level). I consider centralization more appropriate than specialization because 1) In prehistoric times, much of the intense, consistent human interactions developed into social units at lo

Research paper thumbnail of Ceramic raptors unearthed at the site of Shimao (2300–1800 BCE) in northern China: Production and use

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023

Ceramic raptors were unearthed at the site of Shimao (2300-1800 BCE), a 425-ha walled settlement ... more Ceramic raptors were unearthed at the site of Shimao (2300-1800 BCE), a 425-ha walled settlement on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, China. Bird-shaped figures of similar size and age are rare in prehistoric East Asia. For the first time, the present paper conducted a compositional study on the Shimao ceramic raptors using a noninvasive handheld X-ray fluorescence (hhXRF) analyzer. The hhXRF data were compared with those of Shimao utilitarian vessels and local clays to investigate the production of these artifacts. Multivariate statistical analyses of the compositional data suggest that the ceramic raptors are primarily similar to utilitarian pottery in chemical composition but the source(s) of the clay for making them do not match those of the sampled soils. Three subgroups of the ceramic raptors are recognizable by their body color and characteristics of the exterior surface, and they demonstrate compositional variability possibly suggesting different sources of the clay. In addition, calcium-rich whitish substances are inferred as residues of a white paint intentionally applied during the production or use of ceramic raptors. Based on a discussion of archaeometric and archaeological evidence, we propose that the Shimao ceramic raptors were manufactured by multiple production units and meant to mimic a specific, culturally significant bird species (eagles). We also speculate that they were displayed during special events at restricted locales and were intentionally (even ritually) discarded after use. It is possible that the ceramic raptors constituted a part of the political landscape shaped by the Shimao elites, who possessed authority and power on a regional scale.

Research paper thumbnail of Compositional study of household ceramic assemblages from a Late Neolithic (5300-4500 cal BP) earthen walled-town in the middle Yangtze River valley of China

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

The emergence of earthen walled-towns triggered sociopolitical and economical changes in the Late... more The emergence of earthen walled-towns triggered sociopolitical and economical changes in the Late Neolithic middle Yangtze River valley. However, how town emergence complicated interpersonal relations and promoted a stronger degree of social complexity (evidenced by, for example, the variation in household size, structure and layout, and possessions) within the towns and eventually across the region has remained poorly understood. Utilitarian pottery offers one way to probe into the issue by revealing the degree to which agriculturalists and craftsmen depended on each other for a living and on a daily basis. We present here a compositional study on household ceramic assemblages unearthed from two contemporaneous households at Zoumaling, one of the earliest earthen walled-towns in East Asia. The two households are dated to the Upper Qujialing period (5300-4500 cal BP) but differ in their social and/or wealth status. Through principal component analysis of compositional data extracted from sherds and local clays, we show that at each household, domestic pottery, as well as utilitarian tools (spindle whorls) and personal ornaments (bracelets) made of clay, differ little in chemical composition, being largely produced by clays procured within the walled-town. Furthermore, we suggest that both households have the access to about the same pottery (or pottery producers) pool. It is for the reasons above that we argue for household interdependence within the town but reject the likelihood that secured access to clays, or control over pottery products, led to interhousehold differences and social differentiation at the Zoumaling walled-town.

Research paper thumbnail of A handheld XRF study of Late Horizon metal artifacts: implications for technological choices and political intervention in Copiapó, northern Chile

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017

A sample of 403 Late Horizon (~1400-1530 AD) metal artifacts from Copiapó in the Atacama Desert o... more A sample of 403 Late Horizon (~1400-1530 AD) metal artifacts from Copiapó in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, consisting of at least 14 artifactual categories, were examined by a Niton pXRF analyzer for compositional information. The results revealed patterned use of different alloys in the Copiapó region, including a very strong, region-wide reliance on bronze alloys, with tin being a primary or secondary alloying element. The wide use of a non-local metal (tin) in the Copiapó region is interpreted as the result of the Inca Empire's political control over indigenous economic productive activities, despite the long distance to the empire's core area. However, arsenical bronzes featured local artifact typologies in a relatively large quantity during the same period, suggesting that the Incas' preference for bronzes alloyed with tin should have influenced but not fully changed the indigenous metallurgic traditions. This shows that the Inca state had powerful but not absolute control over metal resources in the Atacama Desert.

Research paper thumbnail of Surface treatment of red painted and slipped wares in the middle Yangtze River valley of Late Neolithic China: multi-analytical case analysis

Heritage Science, 2022

Red slipped and painted wares (RSW and RPW) were manufactured to cook, serve, or store foods and ... more Red slipped and painted wares (RSW and RPW) were manufactured to cook, serve, or store foods and liquids in the middle Yangtze River valley (MYRV) of China some 8500 and 7800 years ago, respectively. Their primary use narrowed down to serving and drinking in the Upper Qujialing (5300-4500 cal BP) and Shijiahe (4500-4200 cal BP) periods when initial states (bang guo) took shape and developed in the region. The increasing social complexity in MYRV correlated with the formation of community and neighborhood identity through rituals and socioeconomic ties involving the widespread use of RSW and RPW. How the two wares were produced and used helps us understand the relationships among productive activities, identity, and social inequality in MYRV. This paper presents the first overview of RSW and RPW in the Neolithic MRYV. It introduces a multi-analytical study of the two wares-mostly dating to the Shijiahe period-unearthed from the site of Fenghuangzui in Xianyang City of Hubei Province, China. Optical microscopic examination revealed that the paint of RPW-50 μm thick on average-was applied using a brush while the slip of RSW is thinner and finer and possibly formed by self-slipping. Handheld X-ray fluorescence (hhXRF) and benchtop micro-XRF analyses ascribed the red paint or slip to iron and iron oxide. Raman and X-ray absorption fine structure analyses confirmed that iron was present in the paint or slip in the form of hematite with a poorly developed crystalline structure. Furthermore, thin-section petrography implied that different pastes were used to produce RPW and RSW, and hhXRF data indicated that the Upper Qujialing and Shijiahe pottery differ in the concentrations of five elements (Zr, Fe, Mn, Ti, and Ba), which might be helpful in future provenance studies of RSW and RPW. Our study discloses the complexity of the manufacture of RSW and RPW at Fenghuangzui. More details of RSW and RPW production and use from our ongoing project shall reveal the role of the two wares in the social dynamics of the Late Neolithic MYRV.

Research paper thumbnail of 红山文化无底筒形器的“专业化”生产问题

Research paper thumbnail of 史前陶器的手持式X射线荧光光谱仪分析

Research paper thumbnail of 对泥质陶器研究的思考 发表后扫描版

Research paper thumbnail of 红山文化无底筒形器的“专业化”生产问题

Research paper thumbnail of 家户遗存类型及其研究方法

Research paper thumbnail of 罗山土陶：时代变迁下的坚守与传承

Research paper thumbnail of The emergence of walled towns in prehistoric middle Yangtze River valley: Excavations at the Zoumaling site

Archaeological Research in Asia, 2021

Nineteen Neolithic earthen walled-towns have been discovered in the middle Yangtze River valley, ... more Nineteen Neolithic earthen walled-towns have been discovered in the middle Yangtze River valley, seventeen of which were dated to the Lower or Upper Qujialing period (5500-4500 cal BP). Nowhere else in East Asia did so many man-built walled-towns exist at the time. The rise of walled-towns arguably coincided with emerging social complexity in the region, which leads some researchers to conclude a correlation between the two. However, inadequate discussion has been made on the topic (and especially how differentiation emerged and developed with town emergence in the region). To such an end, many first-hand data with enough details are needed. The present paper introduces recent excavations and discoveries at Zoumaling, one of the oldest earthen walled-towns in the middle Yangtze River valley of south China. Our data sheds light on the town's structure and layout, residential patterning, construction and occupation history, local subsistence economy, burial practice, and non-food production activities. A mode of local production and consumption seems clear for the sedentary, agriculture-based Qujialing communities at the walled-town site. The labor investment in walled-town construction was beyond the capability of self-sufficient households and could have been achieved mostly if not all by corporate groups. Within the walled-town, a few households achieved higher status or greater wealth (or both) and they might have obtained leadership or wealth in walled-town construction and maintenance. Further studies of household assemblages at the Zoumaling walled-town, as well as comparisons with contemporaneous walled-towns elsewhere, are needed to elaborate how interhousehold differences related to town emergence and contributed to the formation of social differentiation.

Research paper thumbnail of Triangulation supports agricultural spread of the Transeurasian languages

Nature, 2021

Recent breakthroughs in ancient DNA sequencing have made us rethink the connections between human... more Recent breakthroughs in ancient DNA sequencing have made us rethink the connections between human, linguistic and cultural expansions across Eurasia. Compared to western Eurasia 9-11 , however, eastern Eurasia remains poorly understood. Northeast Asia-the vast region encompassing Inner Mongolia, the Yellow, Liao and Amur River basins, the Russian Far East, the Korean peninsula and the Japanese Islandsremains especially under-represented in the recent literature. With a few exceptions that are heavily focused on genetics 12-14 or limited to reviewing existing datasets 4 , truly interdisciplinary approaches to Northeast Asia are scarce. The linguistic relatedness of the Transeurasian languages-also known as 'Altaic'-is among the most disputed issues in linguistic prehistory. Transeurasian denotes a large group of geographically adjacent languages stretching across Europe and northern Asia, and includes five uncontroversial linguistic families: Japonic, Koreanic, Tungusic, Mongolic, and Turkic (Fig. 1a). The question of whether

Research paper thumbnail of 中国古代纸币及当票的颜料与纤维

Research paper thumbnail of 无损鉴别古纸涂层及涂料的新方法

中国造纸, 2019

：Previous studies on characterizing ancient Chinese coated papers rely mainly on microscopic obse... more ：Previous studies on characterizing ancient Chinese coated papers rely mainly on microscopic observations and/or elemental analy• sis of the paper' s surface，which are often subjective in interpreting the observations and analytical results. Exploration of new methodolo• gies that produce more reliable results with clearer judging criteria is needed. The present research applied jointly Micro-Computed Tomogra• phy(micro-CT)and Raman spectroscopy to the samples of both ancient and modern handmade Chinese papers for the first time. As suggest• ed by the results，micro-CT could distinguish between coated and uncoated papers as well as between single-side and double-side coated pa• pers. Raman spectroscopy could characterize or identify the coating pigment(as well as other substances)in the coating layer. The new methodology established here was completely non-destructive and could produce scientifically conclusive results regarding the coating layer and coating pigment，which offered new insights into the manufacture of ancient Chinese coated papers.

Research paper thumbnail of 道教人物画像颜料的原位无损分析

文物保护与考古科学, 2010

~ 1fJ T tu~ ~ ~~ ~a1 ?JT-Oeffl ~ttJ¥4. itJIJ11=tt*, ~ iiE~ f~n& ~. ~2¥1f. Jt1-t .H ¥ tt*~M ~l.JL.... more ~ 1fJ T tu~ ~ ~~ ~a1 ?JT-Oeffl ~ttJ¥4. itJIJ11=tt*, ~ iiE~ f~n& ~. ~2¥1f. Jt1-t .H ¥ tt*~M ~l.JL. ~ ®*!f ~~ *~~~~~~*PT~*~~~~-~~-fil 3:m • .t1t '1r, ~PT JJ-13JJ nffi ~ J¥4 ~ M ~-§:~w 1.JL • }X\, f-t ~ ~' ~1~~ 1*1F (iJtl:tllJ ~-§.i:p ~-§.%~mi)t;£ 1~~ 1fl-f!i ~ f § ,~, 0

Research paper thumbnail of 古代造纸原料的历时性变化及其潜在意义

中国造纸, 2018

• / f3 "%':r-t~:tJJ *mtt#ff £R.Jtf:E4iffi!t~JJ;_tEt-JD\Iffl " : r_m § tt#~J-E~f:Erfr'1'1i :g 3f C... more • / f3 "%':r-t~:tJJ *mtt#ff £R.Jtf:E4iffi!t~JJ;_tEt-JD\Iffl " : r_m § tt#~J-E~f:Erfr'1'1i :g 3f C7) 201 7 if 9=1 OO:U!t!J;I~ 10 r_m~r !fH~BJE C 13) tUH-t\rilJ 9=1 OOm1~ =-§J* §tM&1:!L*lti&-ilr (25) tiE ~1,t\rilJ Jl.J JtOO~?Fm 1~ OptiConceptM f;lt 1UltiZ:tj:tJc 1UUM&1:.r~(41) l&CilOOI~ilt nHil.~R ifll i::~ It i:p ~ m ~JJ;1iJf J?: ~ 1~ * m * i:p oo flitl #t m ~JJ;1iJf J?: ~in rOJ c 59) * r 1iE ~ i:p oo :U!tJJ;~~~-t ;\.JiI!~#if~it :>cEt-JJfil9i!J (68) YJ1: 11il't~;iZ;i'JJHi~V*l 5t1:. (76)

Research paper thumbnail of 基于无损化学分析和家户尺度上的陶器网络研究

西北大学文物保护技术专业创立三十周年论文集, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of 黑水城遗址出土西夏时期染色纸张的分析

西夏研究, 2017

~ 1* jjfl tw 'I ~ **)* [ 9=1 00 i1' 'if J

Research paper thumbnail of Pottery production at the Miaodigou site in central China: Archaeological and archaeometric evidence

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

The Miaodigou culture in central China had far-reaching influence across much of the Late Neolith... more The Miaodigou culture in central China had far-reaching influence across much of the Late Neolithic China, leading to the formation of some would call 'Early China'. Its exquisitely painted pottery with highly stylized patterns is especially well-known to East Asian archaeologists. The Miaodigou culture is represented by archaeological remains of Phase I (3800-3300 BCE) of the Miaodigou site in present-day Sanmenxia City of Henan Province. While a high level of specialization in pottery production has long been assumed for the Miaodigou site (and the culture as well), it has not been systematically demonstrated and discussed. The present study focuses on the Phase I utilitarian pottery-most of which are plain but some are painted-recently unearthed from the Miaodigou site. By combining archaeological and archaeometric evidence, including chemical compositional analysis (hhXRF) and mineral identification (XRD), we, for the first time, discuss pottery production at the very center of the Miaodigou culture. We reveal an overall compositional uniformity in the Miaodigou utilitarian pottery that largely exists across different pastes, colors, vessel forms, form-deduced functions, stages, and spatial units. Our results attest to the high intensity and technological continuity of pottery production at the Miaodigou site, confirming that the site was a regional production center through much of the Miaodigou culture period. We suggest that the centralized production of pottery had taken place at the Miaodigou site.

Research paper thumbnail of Centralization and its importance in revealing production and distribution of archaeological pottery

Academia Letters, 2021

Researchers since Vere Gordon Childe (1892-1957) have generally accepted the idea that craft prod... more Researchers since Vere Gordon Childe (1892-1957) have generally accepted the idea that craft production and social complexity was closely interrelated, despite their differing opinions on whether craft production was a cause for, or a result of, social changes [1]. Many, while investigating the relationship between the two, paid great attention to 'specialization' and characterized it by the intensity, scale, or concentration of craft production [2]. However, the meaning of 'specialization' is often defined implicitly, (sometimes) vague, and likely difficult to be useful for cross-regional or cross-cultural comparison. What people mean by 'specialization' can vary substantially from one case study to another [3]. Here, I propose that 'centralization' may be a better concept than specialization in revealing the producer-consumer relation and evaluating the role of craft production in developing social complexity. I limit my discussion to prehistoric settled, pottery-producing and pottery-consuming populations. My understanding of 'centralization' was inspired by what Carla M. Sinopoli called 'centralized production', namely the 'large-scale and spatially segregated production by specialists, without inputting any direct involvement by the administrative apparatus of the state in such production system' (Sinopoli 1988:581) [4]. I suggest a modified version of that definition has the potentials in revealing pottery production and distribution in prehistoric societies. I define centralization of pottery production as the manufacture of exceptionally huge quantities of pottery at a centralized locale, directed by tradition, supply and demand, or market and with (or without) full-time specialists or elites (leaders). Here, 'a centralized locale' refers to the place that generated the strongest centripetal force on a regional scale and attracted populations from neighboring sites (usually, this means a spatial extent beyond the village level). I consider centralization more appropriate than specialization because 1) In prehistoric times, much of the intense, consistent human interactions developed into social units at lo

Research paper thumbnail of Ceramic raptors unearthed at the site of Shimao (2300–1800 BCE) in northern China: Production and use

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023

Ceramic raptors were unearthed at the site of Shimao (2300-1800 BCE), a 425-ha walled settlement ... more Ceramic raptors were unearthed at the site of Shimao (2300-1800 BCE), a 425-ha walled settlement on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, China. Bird-shaped figures of similar size and age are rare in prehistoric East Asia. For the first time, the present paper conducted a compositional study on the Shimao ceramic raptors using a noninvasive handheld X-ray fluorescence (hhXRF) analyzer. The hhXRF data were compared with those of Shimao utilitarian vessels and local clays to investigate the production of these artifacts. Multivariate statistical analyses of the compositional data suggest that the ceramic raptors are primarily similar to utilitarian pottery in chemical composition but the source(s) of the clay for making them do not match those of the sampled soils. Three subgroups of the ceramic raptors are recognizable by their body color and characteristics of the exterior surface, and they demonstrate compositional variability possibly suggesting different sources of the clay. In addition, calcium-rich whitish substances are inferred as residues of a white paint intentionally applied during the production or use of ceramic raptors. Based on a discussion of archaeometric and archaeological evidence, we propose that the Shimao ceramic raptors were manufactured by multiple production units and meant to mimic a specific, culturally significant bird species (eagles). We also speculate that they were displayed during special events at restricted locales and were intentionally (even ritually) discarded after use. It is possible that the ceramic raptors constituted a part of the political landscape shaped by the Shimao elites, who possessed authority and power on a regional scale.

Research paper thumbnail of Compositional study of household ceramic assemblages from a Late Neolithic (5300-4500 cal BP) earthen walled-town in the middle Yangtze River valley of China

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

The emergence of earthen walled-towns triggered sociopolitical and economical changes in the Late... more The emergence of earthen walled-towns triggered sociopolitical and economical changes in the Late Neolithic middle Yangtze River valley. However, how town emergence complicated interpersonal relations and promoted a stronger degree of social complexity (evidenced by, for example, the variation in household size, structure and layout, and possessions) within the towns and eventually across the region has remained poorly understood. Utilitarian pottery offers one way to probe into the issue by revealing the degree to which agriculturalists and craftsmen depended on each other for a living and on a daily basis. We present here a compositional study on household ceramic assemblages unearthed from two contemporaneous households at Zoumaling, one of the earliest earthen walled-towns in East Asia. The two households are dated to the Upper Qujialing period (5300-4500 cal BP) but differ in their social and/or wealth status. Through principal component analysis of compositional data extracted from sherds and local clays, we show that at each household, domestic pottery, as well as utilitarian tools (spindle whorls) and personal ornaments (bracelets) made of clay, differ little in chemical composition, being largely produced by clays procured within the walled-town. Furthermore, we suggest that both households have the access to about the same pottery (or pottery producers) pool. It is for the reasons above that we argue for household interdependence within the town but reject the likelihood that secured access to clays, or control over pottery products, led to interhousehold differences and social differentiation at the Zoumaling walled-town.

Research paper thumbnail of A handheld XRF study of Late Horizon metal artifacts: implications for technological choices and political intervention in Copiapó, northern Chile

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017

A sample of 403 Late Horizon (~1400-1530 AD) metal artifacts from Copiapó in the Atacama Desert o... more A sample of 403 Late Horizon (~1400-1530 AD) metal artifacts from Copiapó in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, consisting of at least 14 artifactual categories, were examined by a Niton pXRF analyzer for compositional information. The results revealed patterned use of different alloys in the Copiapó region, including a very strong, region-wide reliance on bronze alloys, with tin being a primary or secondary alloying element. The wide use of a non-local metal (tin) in the Copiapó region is interpreted as the result of the Inca Empire's political control over indigenous economic productive activities, despite the long distance to the empire's core area. However, arsenical bronzes featured local artifact typologies in a relatively large quantity during the same period, suggesting that the Incas' preference for bronzes alloyed with tin should have influenced but not fully changed the indigenous metallurgic traditions. This shows that the Inca state had powerful but not absolute control over metal resources in the Atacama Desert.

Research paper thumbnail of Surface treatment of red painted and slipped wares in the middle Yangtze River valley of Late Neolithic China: multi-analytical case analysis

Heritage Science, 2022

Red slipped and painted wares (RSW and RPW) were manufactured to cook, serve, or store foods and ... more Red slipped and painted wares (RSW and RPW) were manufactured to cook, serve, or store foods and liquids in the middle Yangtze River valley (MYRV) of China some 8500 and 7800 years ago, respectively. Their primary use narrowed down to serving and drinking in the Upper Qujialing (5300-4500 cal BP) and Shijiahe (4500-4200 cal BP) periods when initial states (bang guo) took shape and developed in the region. The increasing social complexity in MYRV correlated with the formation of community and neighborhood identity through rituals and socioeconomic ties involving the widespread use of RSW and RPW. How the two wares were produced and used helps us understand the relationships among productive activities, identity, and social inequality in MYRV. This paper presents the first overview of RSW and RPW in the Neolithic MRYV. It introduces a multi-analytical study of the two wares-mostly dating to the Shijiahe period-unearthed from the site of Fenghuangzui in Xianyang City of Hubei Province, China. Optical microscopic examination revealed that the paint of RPW-50 μm thick on average-was applied using a brush while the slip of RSW is thinner and finer and possibly formed by self-slipping. Handheld X-ray fluorescence (hhXRF) and benchtop micro-XRF analyses ascribed the red paint or slip to iron and iron oxide. Raman and X-ray absorption fine structure analyses confirmed that iron was present in the paint or slip in the form of hematite with a poorly developed crystalline structure. Furthermore, thin-section petrography implied that different pastes were used to produce RPW and RSW, and hhXRF data indicated that the Upper Qujialing and Shijiahe pottery differ in the concentrations of five elements (Zr, Fe, Mn, Ti, and Ba), which might be helpful in future provenance studies of RSW and RPW. Our study discloses the complexity of the manufacture of RSW and RPW at Fenghuangzui. More details of RSW and RPW production and use from our ongoing project shall reveal the role of the two wares in the social dynamics of the Late Neolithic MYRV.

Research paper thumbnail of 红山文化无底筒形器的“专业化”生产问题

Research paper thumbnail of 史前陶器的手持式X射线荧光光谱仪分析

Research paper thumbnail of 对泥质陶器研究的思考 发表后扫描版

Research paper thumbnail of 红山文化无底筒形器的“专业化”生产问题

Research paper thumbnail of 家户遗存类型及其研究方法

Research paper thumbnail of 罗山土陶：时代变迁下的坚守与传承

Research paper thumbnail of The emergence of walled towns in prehistoric middle Yangtze River valley: Excavations at the Zoumaling site

Archaeological Research in Asia, 2021

Nineteen Neolithic earthen walled-towns have been discovered in the middle Yangtze River valley, ... more Nineteen Neolithic earthen walled-towns have been discovered in the middle Yangtze River valley, seventeen of which were dated to the Lower or Upper Qujialing period (5500-4500 cal BP). Nowhere else in East Asia did so many man-built walled-towns exist at the time. The rise of walled-towns arguably coincided with emerging social complexity in the region, which leads some researchers to conclude a correlation between the two. However, inadequate discussion has been made on the topic (and especially how differentiation emerged and developed with town emergence in the region). To such an end, many first-hand data with enough details are needed. The present paper introduces recent excavations and discoveries at Zoumaling, one of the oldest earthen walled-towns in the middle Yangtze River valley of south China. Our data sheds light on the town's structure and layout, residential patterning, construction and occupation history, local subsistence economy, burial practice, and non-food production activities. A mode of local production and consumption seems clear for the sedentary, agriculture-based Qujialing communities at the walled-town site. The labor investment in walled-town construction was beyond the capability of self-sufficient households and could have been achieved mostly if not all by corporate groups. Within the walled-town, a few households achieved higher status or greater wealth (or both) and they might have obtained leadership or wealth in walled-town construction and maintenance. Further studies of household assemblages at the Zoumaling walled-town, as well as comparisons with contemporaneous walled-towns elsewhere, are needed to elaborate how interhousehold differences related to town emergence and contributed to the formation of social differentiation.