Jade Artifacts Suggest Long-Distance Trade in China 5,000 Years Ago

CHIFENG CITY, CHINA—ARTnews reports that more than 100 jade dragon figurines have been recovered from a burial mound in Mongolia’s Yuanbaoshan archaeological site. The figurines have been dated to 5,000 years ago and are thought to have been made by the Hongshan culture, which inhabited the region, based upon pottery that was also recovered from the burial mound. The dragons vary in size and color, but the largest one is emerald green and fits into the palm of the hand. Another jade object recovered at the site is thought to have originated in east-central China, more than 900 miles away. To read about thousands of bronzes unearthed in what is now Sichuan Province that were made by a legendary Chinese dynasty, go to “The Many Faces of the Kingdom of Shu.”