TITLE:
On the Origin of Early Jade Dagger-Axe: A Brief Analysis
AUTHORS:
Cheng Xue, Yingzhi Xu
KEYWORDS:
Jade Dagger-Axe, Axe, Morphological Feature, Tying Means, Burial Ritual
JOURNAL NAME:
Archaeological Discovery,
Vol.5 No.3,
July
28,
2017
ABSTRACT: The jade dagger-axe is a significant ritual artifact in prehistoric China and therefore has been the subject of much discussion among archaeologists and historians. The authors compare the jade dagger-axe and the axe in terms of the morphological features, the means of hafting, and the use in burial ritual. It appears that the shape of the jade dagger-axe is the result of improving the axe. The means of hafting the jade dagger-axe is generally identical to that of the axe. The ritualization of the jade dagger-axe follows that of the axe. Therefore, the jade dagger-axe may have originated from the axe.