History of Ceramics in Jiangxi

Author: Yu Jiadong / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-01-01
Features:
3. Pottery Excavated from the Lower Layer of Zhangshu Wuyecheng
The pottery unearthed here is similar to that of the lower layer of Shangbei, primarily composed of tempered red pottery. The lower layer features prevalent incised techniques, such as double-line diagonal patterns, human-shaped patterns, and fingernail patterns. However, a small number of geometric stamped patterns, such as spiral patterns, circular patterns, and square grid patterns, have also appeared. In the middle layer of Wuyecheng culture, tempered gray pottery is predominant. However, this layer also contains a small amount of hard pottery with high firing temperature and a small amount of glazed pottery, all of which are indeed hard pottery or geometric stamped hard pottery. The geometric stamped patterns observed in the middle layer not only increased in quantity but also diversified in type, including square grid patterns, woven patterns, spiral patterns, leaf vein patterns, cloud patterns, circular patterns, and net patterns, etc. The imprints are deeper and clearer, becoming more orderly from chaotic overlaps, indicating an improvement in stamping techniques. Patterns belonging to incision and pressure also increased, such as (conical needle basket pattern), (sunken dot added stack pattern), string patterns, short line and dot patterns, and straight line patterns, etc. Stamping and incision methods were used simultaneously on a single vessel, presenting combined composite patterns, which were absent in the lower layers of Xiushui Shangbei and Yingpanli. The middle layer of Wuyecheng is a cultural relic with a relatively increase in geometric stamped pottery, indicating it as another stage of the late Neolithic culture in Jiangxi. Its age is approximately 4,000 years ago.
4. Pottery Excavated from the Lower Layer of Zhangshu Yingpanli Site and the Third Earthwork
The pottery unearthed here is rich in variety. The pottery can be categorized into five types: tempered red pottery, plain red pottery, plain gray pottery, plain or tempered yellow-gray pottery, and black pottery, with tempered red pottery being predominant. Among them, plain gray pottery, plain red pottery, or yellow (gray) pottery is mostly decorated with geometric stamped patterns. The decorative techniques include stamping, incision, and perforation, with stamping being the most common. The patterns on stamped soft pottery include cord patterns, cord-added stack patterns, wavy patterns, square grid patterns, (ring patterns), woven patterns, leaf vein patterns, circular patterns, and S-shaped patterns, etc. The patterns on incised soft pottery include fingernail patterns, sunken dot-added stack patterns, short line and dot patterns, circular and straight line patterns, etc. The patterns on hard pottery include square grid patterns, , wavy patterns, cord patterns, (pattern), feather patterns, cloud patterns, woven patterns, and circular patterns, etc. The composite patterns are largely consistent with the lower layer of Wuyecheng, both belonging to an original culture with red sand pottery as the main characteristic. Their age is slightly later than that of Xiushui Shangbei culture, approximately 4,000 years ago.
5. Pottery Excavated from the Lower Layer of Zhangshu Fanchengdui Site
The decorative patterns of the various pottery unearthed here are primarily plain. There are a small number of incised patterns, wicker patterns, cord patterns, added stack patterns, square grid patterns, circular recess patterns, circular patterns, wavy patterns, large dot or heavy ring-dot patterns, string patterns, basket patterns, conical needle patterns, perforations, and polychrome decorations, etc. Polychrome pottery includes basins, pots, and jars, all decorated with red patterns, with simple designs mostly composed of parallel horizontal and diagonal lines. The geometric stamped decoration of Fanchengdui appears in the lower cultural layer, similar to that of Wuyecheng and Yingpanli lower layers. Its emergence date is approximately the late Neolithic era.
6. Yongfeng Yinjiaoping Site
This site, from the ② layer to the ③B layer, shows no chronological distinction, with a relatively uniform cultural appearance, all belonging to the late Neolithic strata. The pottery is predominantly plain, with tempered red and gray soft pottery and tempered red and gray pottery being the most abundant. The decorative patterns include stamped wicker patterns, cord patterns, interwoven cord patterns, wavy patterns, etc. Patterns belonging to pressure or puncture include added stack patterns with impressed fingernail patterns, sunken dot patterns, circular recess patterns, circular patterns, and wide band patterns with stamped diagonal grid patterns, etc. Patterns belonging to incision include line patterns, large cloud patterns, heavy ring and single ring combined patterns, six-angled arc patterns, coarse incised leaf patterns, coarse incised human-shaped patterns, and line patterns, etc. Patterns belonging to carving include arc recess patterns, oblique recess patterns, triangular recess patterns, elliptical recess patterns, and carved basket patterns, etc. Among them, incised human-shaped patterns, leaf vein patterns, and carved patterns are decorated on the legs of shallow dishes. Perforations and flat elliptical holes are decorated on the three legs or ring feet of bean stands or plates. Other patterns include concave string patterns and convex rib patterns, etc. Based on the analysis of the shapes and decorative patterns of the stamped pottery, it belongs to the same type of cultural relics as the lower layers of Wuyecheng and Fanchengdui. Its emergence date belongs to the late Neolithic era.
7. Xinyu Shiyanshan Site
The three cultural phases of this site all belong to Neolithic cultural relics. In the phase culture, the decorative patterns of pottery are primarily stamped geometric patterns, generally stamped on the rims of plain red-coated red pottery basins, mainly including convex patterns, folded corner patterns, and wave patterns, with deep and orderly imprints, giving a sense of relief. Incised patterns are more common on the rims of red-coated red pottery pots, with a continuous inverted triangle as the motif for adding or filling lines. Patterns such as large folded corner patterns are similar to those of the Daxi culture within Hunan Province. In the second phase culture of Shiyanshan, pottery is still dominated by tempered red and gray pottery. The decorative patterns are primarily incision, puncture, and pressure, with stamping being rare. The decorative patterns of tripod pots are more common, including concave holes, incised grooves, circular patterns, and concave dot patterns, etc. These patterns are similar to those of Anhui Qianshan Xuejiagang Phase III. In the third phase culture of Shiyanshan, pottery is still dominated by tempered red and gray pottery. The decorative patterns remain relatively simple, with few stamped geometric patterns. Incision and conical needle techniques are still popular, with decoration still focused on tripods, commonly featuring V-shaped patterns, concave hole patterns, and leaf vein patterns, etc. On bean pots, circular and fingernail-shaped patterns are also seen. Pots are mostly decorated with cord patterns and string patterns, with individual pots (bottom incised with multi-angled symbols). The various patterns of the third phase are both related to Guangdong Qujiang Shijia culture and connected to the lower layers of Zhangshu Wuyecheng, Fanchengdui, and Yongfeng Yinjiaoping. The age of the third phase culture of Shiyanshan is close to that of Xiushui Shangbei, while the and second phases (exactly fill) the gap between the early Neolithic Wannian Xianrendong culture and the late Neolithic Xiushui Shangbei culture.
8. Guangfeng Sheshantou Site
The lower Neolithic culture of this site, in the first phase, primarily features plain surfaces with decorative patterns such as incision, puncture, stamping, and perforation, commonly including square grid patterns, folded corner patterns, water wave patterns, triangular patterns, circular perforations, circular patterns, folded corner patterns, S-shaped patterns, heavy ring patterns, and parallel string patterns, etc. In the second phase, plain surfaces are still predominant, with common decorative patterns including cord patterns, wavy patterns, square grid patterns, folded corner patterns, and leaf vein patterns, etc. In the third phase, new decorative patterns such as eaves patterns and woven patterns are added, but cord patterns and wicker patterns remain the most common. From the analysis of decorative patterns and vessel shapes, the lower culture of Sheshantou is comparable to that of Zhangshu Wuyecheng and Fanchengdui. From a cultural perspective, they are all an integral part of the same cultural system, showing strong similarity in pottery quality, color, and decorative patterns to Shiyanshan in Xinyu and Yongfeng Yinjiaoping, etc.
9. Jing'an Zhengjiaotiao Neolithic Late Tomb
In the first, second, and third phases of the tomb, the decorative patterns of pottery significantly increase, not only including circular and triangular perforations but also newly appearing crescent-shaped perforations, puncture patterns, fingernail-shaped conical needle patterns, regular combined woven incision patterns, and stamped circular pattern combinations, etc. The various geometric stamped patterns mentioned above are earlier in date than Zhangshu Fanchengdui and Wuyecheng lower layers, belonging to the early stage of the late Neolithic era.
In summary, Jiangxi geometric stamped pottery first appeared in the Neolithic era. The early Wannian Xianrendong pottery was entirely tempered with coarse sand red pottery, with relatively primitive firing techniques. The decorative patterns of lower-layer pottery are predominantly cord patterns, with some incised with small and large grid patterns on the cord patterns. In terms of decorative art, primarily incision and puncture techniques were popular. The lower layer began to show the of stamping techniques, with patterns only including cord patterns and net patterns. By the upper layer, additional patterns such as wicker patterns and circular recess patterns appeared. The and second phases of Shiyanshan are earlier than the lower layer of Xiushui Shangbei, exactly filling the gap between the early Neolithic Xianrendong and the late Neolithic Xiushui Shangbei. The decorative patterns of the phase are primarily stamped geometric patterns, mainly including convex patterns, folded corner patterns, and wave patterns, with deep and orderly imprints. The second phase is dominated by incision, puncture, and pressure, with few stamped geometric patterns. The third phase of Shiyanshan is close to the lower layer of Shangbei, with close connections to the lower layers of Wuyecheng, Fanchengdui, and Yinjiaoping. Primarily, incision and conical needle techniques are popular, with few stamped geometric patterns. The decorative patterns focus on various tripods, commonly featuring concave hole patterns, leaf vein patterns, V-shaped patterns, circular patterns, fingernail patterns, cord patterns, string patterns, and multi-angled incised patterns. The middle layer of Wuyecheng overlays a Neolithic culture primarily characterized by red sand pottery. Its age is undoubtedly later than that of the lower layers of Wuyecheng and Xiushui Shangbei. It can be said that the middle culture is close to the threshold of the class society, likely belonging to a cultural stage of the transition from the late primitive society to the slave society. During this period, pottery techniques improved significantly in (washing), (kneading), (forming), (trimming), and (firing control). Geometric stamped patterns not only increased in quantity but also diversified in type, such as square grid patterns, woven patterns, spiral patterns, leaf vein patterns, cloud patterns, and circular patterns, etc. Stamping techniques became less crude, with deeper and clearer imprints becoming more orderly from chaotic overlaps.
4. Upper Layer of Guangfeng Sheshantou Site – Shang Dynasty Cultural Remains
The Shang Dynasty pottery includes basins, pots, and urns. The pottery is mostly plain gray, with plain red hard pottery being secondary. Decorative patterns include square grid patterns and convex string patterns. One (shoulder-folded pot) has an incised symbol "I" inside its collar. From the analysis of the shapes and manufacturing techniques of the pot-like vessels from the upper layer, it has a close connection to the Wannian type Shang culture of Jiangxi. It is likely a precursor to the widespread use of pots in the Wannian type Shang culture.
5. De'an Lishishan Shang Dynasty Remains
This site is located on the southwest side of Lishishan in Nieqiao Township, Nieqiao Village, De'an County. In autumn 1982, the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted trial excavations. The stratigraphic deposits are relatively simple, almost entirely Shang Dynasty cultural remains. Based on the analysis of unearthed artifacts, it can be divided into two cultural phases: and second phases. The phase culture produced only utilitarian pottery, with main shapes including tripods, bean pots, basins, pots, urns, lids, and jar-shaped vessels. The pottery is primarily plain gray, with many coated in black or polished smooth, followed by tempered gray pottery, tempered red pottery, and plain red pottery. Stamped hard pottery, glazed pottery, and primitive porcelain were rarely found. Decorative patterns primarily included cord patterns and stack patterns, with additional eaves patterns, cloud patterns, sawtooth stack patterns, basket patterns, basket dot patterns, leaf vein patterns, folded corner patterns, rhombus patterns, square grid patterns, convex square dot patterns, S-shaped patterns, and wavy incision patterns, etc. The second phase culture produced pottery with a (pottery system) largely consistent with the phase, but with changes in vessel shapes. In terms of decorative patterns, primarily cord patterns were popular, but the patterns were finer, with cloud patterns and leaf vein patterns becoming more regular and orderly, with relatively coarse side patterns. Occasionally, wicker patterns, carved patterns, and square grid convex dot patterns were seen. Main shapes included tripods, bean pots, pots, urns, lids, and tripods. Among them, the tripod shapes were high and wide, almost equal. From the characteristics of unearthed pottery, it is similar to the Fanchengdui culture of Zhangshu. Both sites used semi-subterranean foundations. In terms of pottery system, both were primarily gray, but Lishishan had a higher proportion of black-coated or polished-smooth pottery compared to Wucheng. However, Lishishan had far less developed stamped pottery, glazed pottery, and primitive porcelain than Wucheng. Both sites had a large number of tripod vessels, but Lishishan retained more early factors, with few tripods having distinct necks and bellies or arc or divided bellies. Based on this analysis, the phase culture of Lishishan is slightly earlier than the phase culture of Wucheng, dating to the early mid-Shang Dynasty. The second phase culture is also relatively earlier than the second phase culture of Wucheng, dating to the late mid-Shang Dynasty.
6. Jiujiang Longwangling Site
Located on a hill about 2 kilometers southeast of Mahuiling Township in Jiujiang County, about 300 meters north of Cangfang Village, the Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted the first trial excavations of the site from September to October 1990. According to stratigraphic superposition and artifact characteristics, the site can be divided into three phases. The phase culture is primarily pottery, with plain gray pottery being predominant, followed by tempered gray pottery, tempered red pottery, plain red pottery, and hard pottery being less common. There were also many black-coated or black-skin polished-smooth pottery. Decorative patterns primarily included fine cord patterns, with a small number of string patterns, added stack patterns, square grid patterns, chaotic cloud patterns, and leaf vein patterns, etc. Vessel shapes included tripods, pots, basins, plates, tripods, and (unknown vessel type). Tripods were relatively abundant, generally with overturned edges, pointed round lips, bundled necks, high bellies, and sharp conical solid feet. There were two circles of string patterns on the edge surface and between the neck and belly, with straight fine cord patterns on the belly and feet. The second phase culture produced pottery with plain gray pottery still predominant, tempered gray pottery being secondary, tempered red pottery and plain red pottery being less common, with a slightly higher proportion of hard pottery than the phase. Decorative patterns primarily included cord patterns, with string patterns and rhombus patterns being secondary, while square grid patterns, narrow strip added stack patterns, incision patterns, basket dot patterns, cloud patterns, convex square dot patterns, and chaotic cloud patterns, and leaf vein patterns being less common. Vessel shapes were primarily tripods, with fewer bean pots, pots, urns, tripods, (play-shaped vessels), and basins. The tripod mouth features were similar to those of the phase, with most having sharp conical solid feet. The third phase culture produced pottery with plain gray pottery still predominant, tempered gray pottery being secondary, tempered red pottery and plain red pottery being less common, with a hard pottery proportion similar to the second phase, but fewer black-coated or black-skin polished-smooth pottery. Decorative patterns primarily included cord patterns, with new patterns such as nipple patterns, square patterns, and rhombus ring patterns appearing. Main vessel shapes included tripods, basins, urns, and pots. Vessel shapes changed somewhat. Tripods were popular with narrow overturned edges, with clearer boundaries between the neck and belly, and new tripods with non-joined sharp conical feet appeared. The earlier prevalent sharp conical solid feet became shorter, with the curve between the solid foot root and the bag-like foot being less distinct. Basin neck-belly angles increased. From the above data, the tripod, folded belly pot, high ring-foot plate, tripod, deep belly basin, and curved belly basin of the phase culture are similar to those of the lower layer of Zhengzhou Erligang, belonging to the early Shang period. It simultaneously possesses factors of both the Central Plains Shang culture of Wucheng type and the Jiangxi indigenous Wannian type Shang culture. The pottery of the second and third phases is approximately from the mid-to-late Shang Dynasty.