Liangzhu Jade culture

The Liangzhu Jade (3400-2250BC) culture was the last neolithic Jade culture in the Yang Tse river delta and was spaced over a period of about 1300 years. Its area of influence extends from Lake Tai in the North to Nanjing and Shanghai in the East and Hangzhou in the south. The key neolithic Jade items of this culture where found in tombs near Liangzhu about 30Km north of Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province China). The Jade from this culture is characterized by fineyl worked large ritual jades such as Congs cylinders, Bi discs, Yue axes as also pendants and decorations in the form of cisseled open-work plaques, plates and representations of small birds, turtles and fish. The Liangzhu Jade has a white milky bone like aspect due to its Tremolite rock origin and influence of water baesd fluids at the burial sites.

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