Ceramic manufacturing and development of social complexity in the Neolithic Linfen Basin, China
Source abstract
Abstract
Archeological surveys and excavations indicate that during the Late Neolithic Age, the Linfen Basin featured a multi-tiered settlement hierarchy centered in Taosi. This study focuses on the pottery artifacts in the Linfen Basin, aiming to explore the relationship between pottery production and the development of social complexity in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin. We analyzed 109 pottery sherds collected from the Linfen Basin using XRF and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This study finds no difference in the chemical composition of pottery clay among the Longshan sites in the Linfen Basin, either diachronically or synchronically. Considering the distribution of clay resources in the Linfen Basin, it is possible that these Longshan communities shared a clay resource near Taosi, which possibly controlled the clay resources. The chemical analysis of pottery clay sherds points to further study of resource acquisition patterns in the development of social complexity in Neolithic China.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (39)
Show source-provided references
1. Zhang, C. Longshan-Erlitou: changes in the pattern of prehistoric chinese culture and the formation of globalization in the Bronze Age. Cult. Relics 6, 50–59 (2017). (In Chinese).
2. Li, M. The social turning point of the Longshan era: political experiments and the expansion of interactive networks. In Longshan Culture and Early Civilization: Proceedings of the Zhangqiu Satellite Conference at the 22nd International Congress of Historical Sciences (eds Shandong University Cultural Heritage Research Institute, Zhangqiu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film and Information Technology) 16—31 (Cultural Relics Press, 2017). (In Chinese).
3. CASS (Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academic of Social Sciences), Linfen Municipal Culture Relics Bureau, Shanxi Province. Taosi Site in Xiangfen: Report on Archaeological Excavations in 1978–1985 (Cultural Relics Press, 2015). (In Chinese).
4. He, N. Taosi: The Starting Point of the Formation of the Core of Chinese Civilization (Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House, 2022). (In Chinese).
5. He, N. Archaeological practice and theoretical achievements of the settlement form of Taosi site group in 2010. Commun. Anc. Civiliz. Res. Cent. Chin. Acad. Soc. Sci. 21, 1–12 (2011). (In Chinese).
6. Rice, P. M. Evolution of specialized pottery production: a trial model. Curr. Anthropol. 22, 219–240 (1981).10.1086/202661 ↗
7. Rice, P. M. Pottery Analisis—A Sourcebook (University of Chicago Press, 1987).
8. Costin, C. L. Craft production systems. In Archaeology at the millennium: a sourcebook (Feinman, G. M. & Price, T. D.) 273–327 (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2001).10.1007/978-0-387-72611-3_8 ↗
9. Underhill, A. P. Craft Production and Social Change in Northern China (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2002).10.1007/978-1-4615-0641-6 ↗
10. Drennan, R. D., Peterson, C. E., Lu, X. & Li, T. Hongshan households and communities in Neolithic northeastern China. J. Anthropol. Archaeol. 47, 50–71 (2017).10.1016/j.jaa.2017.03.002 ↗
11. Olin, J. S. et al. Elemental Compositions of Spanish and Spanish-Colonial Majolica Ceramics in the Identification of Provenance, Vol. 171 (American Chemical Society, Washington D.C., 1978).10.1021/ba-1978-0171.ch013 ↗
12. Finley, J. B. et al. Compositional analysis of intermountain Ware pottery manufacturing areas in western Wyoming, USA. J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 18, 587–595 (2018).
13. Gjesfjeld, E. The compositional analysis of hunter-gatherer pottery from the Kuril Islands. J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 17, 1025–1034 (2018).
14. Glascock, M. D. et al. Compositional characterization of pottery and clays from Guam by NAA. J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 50, 14098 (2023).
15. Peacock, D. P. S. The scientific analysis of ancient ceramics: a review. World Archaeol. 1, 375–389 (1970).10.1080/00438243.1970.9979454 ↗
16. CASS (Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academic of Social Sciences). Testing and analysis of ceramic fragments from Taosi site in Xiangfen, Shanxi Province. Archaeology 2,176–188 (1993). (In Chinese).
17. Wang, X. & Wang, X. Analysis of the composition of pottery soil at the taosi site in Xiangfen, Shanxi Province. Archaeol. Cult. Relics 2, 106–111 (2013). (In Chinese).
18. Wang, X., He, N. & Dai, X. EDXRF analysis of clay raw materials for pottery making in the late Neolithic Age in Jinnan area. J. Natl. Mus. China 5, 146–160 (2020). (In Chinese).
19. Belfiore, C. M. et al. In situ XRF investigations to unravel the provenance area of Corinthian ware from excavations in Milazzo (Mylai) and Lipari (Lipára). Herit. Sci. 10, 32 (2022).10.1186/s40494-022-00667-9 ↗
20. Lu, Q. et al. Pottery manufacture and exchange at the Qixingdun site in Hunan Province, China. npj. Herit. Sci. 13, 308 (2025).10.1038/s40494-025-01863-z ↗
21. Holakooei, P. et al. A provenance study on the ceramics excavated at the Varzaneh Plain, central Iran. Herit. Sci. 12, 416 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01532-7 ↗
22. Odelli, E. et al. Pottery production and trades in Tamil Nadu region: new insights from Alagankulam and Keeladi excavation sites. Herit. Sci. 8, 56 (2020).10.1186/s40494-020-00402-2 ↗
23. Eckert, S. L. & James, W. D. Investigating the production and distribution of plain ware pottery in the Samoan archipelago with laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). J. Archaeol. Sci. Vol. 38, 2155–2170 (2011).10.1016/j.jas.2011.03.009 ↗
24. Kennett, D. J. et al. Geochemical Characterization of lapita pottery via inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). Archaeometry Vol. 46, 35–46 (2004).10.1111/j.1475-4754.2004.00142.x ↗
25. Chen, Z. et al. Verifying the feasibility of using Hand-Held X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to analyze Linqing brick: evaluation of the influencing factors and assessing reliability. Herit. Sci. 8, 92 (2020).10.1186/s40494-020-00437-5 ↗
26. Kloužková, A. et al. Multi-methodical study of early modern age archaeological glazed ceramics from Prague. Herit. Sci. 8, 82 (2020).10.1186/s40494-020-00423-x ↗
27. LeMoine, J. & Halperin, C. T. Comparing INAA and pXRF analytical methods for ceramics: a case study with Classic Maya wares. J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 36, 102819 (2021).
28. Tsoupra, A. et al. A multi-analytical characterization of fourteenth to eighteenth century pottery from the Kongo kingdom, Central Africa. Sci. Rep. 12, 9943 (2022).10.1038/s41598-022-14089-x ↗
29. Li, T. et al. Surface treatment of red painted and slipped wares in the middle Yangtze River valley of Late Neolithic China: multi-analytical case analysis. Herit. Sci. 10, 188 (2022).10.1186/s40494-022-00824-0 ↗
30. Lu et al. A preliminary analysis of pottery from the Dantu site, Shandong, China: perspectives from petrography and WD-XRF. J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 47, 103710 (2023).
31. Choi, H. et al. A study on the characteristics of the excavated pottery in Hanseong and Sabi periods of the Baekje Kingdom (South Korea): mineralogical, chemical and spectroscopic analysis. Herit. Sci. 12, 236 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01336-9 ↗
32. Bao, Z. et al. Simultaneous determination of trace elements and lead isotopes in fused silicate rock powders using a boron nitride vessel and fsLA-(MC)-ICP-MS. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 31, 1012–1022 (2016).10.1039/C6JA00269B ↗
33. Li, W. Research on Ancient Chinese Pottery Craftsmanship, 329–342 (Science Press,1996). (In Chinese).
34. Peng, H. & Wu, Z. Preliminary exploration into the characteristics and distribution patterns of red beds. J. Sun Yat Sen. Univ. 5, 109–113 (2003). (In Chinese).
35. Chen, Y., Chen, J. & Liu, L. Chemical composition and chemical weathering characteristics of late tertiary red clay in Xifeng, Gansu Province. J. Geomech. 2, 167–175 (2001).（In Chinese).
36. Linfen Local Chronicles Compilation Committee. Linfen City Chronicles (Zhonghua Book Company, 2014). (In Chinese).
37. Li, T., Yao, S., He, L., Yu, X. & Shan, S. Compositional study of household ceremic assemblages from a Late Neolithic (5300–4500cal.BP) earthen walled-town in the middle Yangtze River valley of China. J. Archaeol. Sci. Rep. 39, 103159 (2021).
38. Wu, J. et al. Chemical insights into pottery production and use at Neolithic Zoumaling earthen-walled town in China. npj Herit. Sci. 13, 115 (2025).10.1038/s40494-025-01667-1 ↗
39. Yao, S. et al. Composition analysis of pottery from the Jiangjiashan and Bianjiashan cemeteries in Liangzhu Ancient City, China. npj Herit. Sci. 13, 231 (2025).10.1038/s40494-025-01808-6 ↗