Jade earing
| Accession No. | T0042478 |
|---|---|
| Period | Neolithic |
| Material | Jade |
| Findspot | Bei-ye Site |
| Geographic Location | Beiye Village, Majia Township, Pingtung County |
| Dimension | L. 6.7 cm; W. 2.5 cm; D. 0.7 cm |
Description
This artifact is one half of a broken jade earing. The earing has finely polished surfaces and has an overall shape of a flat open hoop. It was made of serpentinite, which originated in Taitung (eastern Taiwan). Other serpentinite artifacts and associated manufacturing waste materials have been found at the same site of Bei-ye, Pingtung (southern Taiwan), which indicates that it could have been made locally. Further research is required to reveal more about the prehistoric trading system and possible transportation routes for movement of serpentinine from its source.