Scholars believe that a ‘Jade Road’ might have existed through which Hetian Jade was imported to the Central China predating the appearance of ‘Silk Road’. There are five different opinions about the first appeara...Scholars believe that a ‘Jade Road’ might have existed through which Hetian Jade was imported to the Central China predating the appearance of ‘Silk Road’. There are five different opinions about the first appearance of Hetian Jade in Central China, and yet none of which is proved by hard scientific evidence. None of the jades found in the Prehistoric Cultures in Northwest China, especially in the Qijia Culture, can be identified as Hetian Jade. The ancient jade mined in the Mazong Mountain, Gansu Province, might be corresponding to ‘rouzi zhi yu’ (Jade from Rou Zi) mentioned in ancient texts to a certain extent. This paper proposes that the formation of ‘Jade Road’ might have been related to the formation of pastoral nomadic communities which controlled the trade network between the east and the west.展开更多
文摘Scholars believe that a ‘Jade Road’ might have existed through which Hetian Jade was imported to the Central China predating the appearance of ‘Silk Road’. There are five different opinions about the first appearance of Hetian Jade in Central China, and yet none of which is proved by hard scientific evidence. None of the jades found in the Prehistoric Cultures in Northwest China, especially in the Qijia Culture, can be identified as Hetian Jade. The ancient jade mined in the Mazong Mountain, Gansu Province, might be corresponding to ‘rouzi zhi yu’ (Jade from Rou Zi) mentioned in ancient texts to a certain extent. This paper proposes that the formation of ‘Jade Road’ might have been related to the formation of pastoral nomadic communities which controlled the trade network between the east and the west.