Emiri Miyama
Maritime Network of Earring Craftsman
around the South China Sea Region from 500 BC to AD 200
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to advocate a new model for people's movement behind the Metal Age South China Sea maritime network.
Nephrite earrings so called lingling-o and double headed animal ear pendant were widely distributed from 5th century B.C. to 2nd century A.D. in the region of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. These archaeological materials have been studied by several scholars in decades and the research achievements give us an important indication for considering prehistoric people’s movement around the South China Sea. For example, sourcing study on Taiwan nephrite done by Hung and Iizuka shows certain flow of material transportation from Taiwan to the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. The earrings are play a significant role in those network studies.
The author focused on the earrings then try to reveal people's movement in those maritime networks applying morphological and technical analysis on artifacts and discussing about acquisition strategy for raw materials, especially on nephrite. In the end, it was succeeded to reveal production systems in other words, a kind of the schools of craftsmen. Looking into transitions of ancient earrings making, sometimes production was localized and changed their design, technique or acquisition strategy for nephrite.
From this study, it would be turned out that the craftsmen were moving around and keeping their communication each other among the South China Sea region. Here the author would like to propose a new maritime network shown by ancient earring craftsman.
Nephrite earrings so called lingling-o and double headed animal ear pendant were widely distributed from 5th century B.C. to 2nd century A.D. in the region of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. These archaeological materials have been studied by several scholars in decades and the research achievements give us an important indication for considering prehistoric people’s movement around the South China Sea. For example, sourcing study on Taiwan nephrite done by Hung and Iizuka shows certain flow of material transportation from Taiwan to the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. The earrings are play a significant role in those network studies.
The author focused on the earrings then try to reveal people's movement in those maritime networks applying morphological and technical analysis on artifacts and discussing about acquisition strategy for raw materials, especially on nephrite. In the end, it was succeeded to reveal production systems in other words, a kind of the schools of craftsmen. Looking into transitions of ancient earrings making, sometimes production was localized and changed their design, technique or acquisition strategy for nephrite.
From this study, it would be turned out that the craftsmen were moving around and keeping their communication each other among the South China Sea region. Here the author would like to propose a new maritime network shown by ancient earring craftsman.