Those of you who followed me as Author of the Month in February 2018 will recall my obsession with the Hongshan Culture, and especially a unique form of impact glass called shui jing, and evidence that this was carved by the Hongshan carvers, using as an abrasive, impact diamonds. I am still trying to find the shui jing quarries or mines, and had planned to go back to Tong Liao in April, but it will now have to be put off till the coronavirus epidemic is over.
Some weeks ago I was rummaging through my collection and found among some small skull pendants, one that I had bought in Beijing in Shi Li He market in 2016. Being of almost neolithic age myself I had forgotten about it. But inside the hollow of the carved skull there is a small bunched up piece of cord, one part of which is clearly finely woven, so I suppose may be silk. This is absolutely unique among such pieces, and since the skull is a symbol of death my conjecture is that this was the piece he was wearing when old Uncle Joe popped his clogs (if that is what he wore). His daughter then rolled up the cord and pushed it into the cavity for him to enjoy again in the afterlife. So to get carbon dating done on this piece of cord would surely be of great importance for dating when the cloth was made, and so might provide a unique opportunity to date more accurately the late Hongshan Culture (assuming they started with jade and agate). My guess is Late Younger Dryas (say 12,000 years BP, to give time for the glass to cool).
So of late I have made several approaches to laboratories across the world trying to interest them, and even threatening to pay actual money for the service, emphasising also that this might make a nice study to involve a student in. Obviously I would want competent photographic and other documentation as the cord was handled and maybe unfurled. And the response from four labs dotted around the world, so far? ZERO!! Not even a reply. This, it seems is par for the course for scientific collaboration with unlicensed neolithic academics such as myself!
So I shall try to attach images of this piece, and would be most grateful if anyone can put me in contact with a lab and especially a person, that might actually help !!
Some weeks ago I was rummaging through my collection and found among some small skull pendants, one that I had bought in Beijing in Shi Li He market in 2016. Being of almost neolithic age myself I had forgotten about it. But inside the hollow of the carved skull there is a small bunched up piece of cord, one part of which is clearly finely woven, so I suppose may be silk. This is absolutely unique among such pieces, and since the skull is a symbol of death my conjecture is that this was the piece he was wearing when old Uncle Joe popped his clogs (if that is what he wore). His daughter then rolled up the cord and pushed it into the cavity for him to enjoy again in the afterlife. So to get carbon dating done on this piece of cord would surely be of great importance for dating when the cloth was made, and so might provide a unique opportunity to date more accurately the late Hongshan Culture (assuming they started with jade and agate). My guess is Late Younger Dryas (say 12,000 years BP, to give time for the glass to cool).
So of late I have made several approaches to laboratories across the world trying to interest them, and even threatening to pay actual money for the service, emphasising also that this might make a nice study to involve a student in. Obviously I would want competent photographic and other documentation as the cord was handled and maybe unfurled. And the response from four labs dotted around the world, so far? ZERO!! Not even a reply. This, it seems is par for the course for scientific collaboration with unlicensed neolithic academics such as myself!
So I shall try to attach images of this piece, and would be most grateful if anyone can put me in contact with a lab and especially a person, that might actually help !!