HE Cunding & FAN Wenquan .......................77 

On the Discoids from the Miaodigou Site 

Abstract：Discoids（pánzhuàngqì）, a diagnostic stone tool type of the Yangshao culture, are characterized by their disc-like form, yet their function remains the subject of considerable debate. The Miaodigou site has produced the largest assemblage of these artifacts. This study adopts an integrated approach—combining contextual, typological, technological, and functional analyses—to investigate the Miaodigou discoids. The results show that discoids were used over a long period and deliberately stockpiled. They display multiple sub-types and flexible manufacturing strategies, suggesting their role as expedient, multifunctional tools. The most securely identified uses are as percussors and grinders for pigment processing, while secondary functions included chopping, scraping, and pounding. Less certain but possible functions involve their use as throwing objects, threshing tools, or container lids. By contrast, the evidence indicates they were unlikely to have served as discoid cores, jue-ring blanks, or ritual implements.

LUAN Fengshi et al. ..........................................87 

On Ear-Ornament-Type Adornments in the Dawenkou Culture and Related Issues 

Abstract：During the 1959 excavation of the Dawenkou cemetery, a group of artifacts referred to as“ivory cong”was unearthed. Their form, however, differs entirely from the jade cong conventionally recognized, and their function and nature have long lacked a convincing explanation. By analyzing the form, chronological development, and evolutionary trajectory of these so-called“ivory cong,”and by considering comparable jade, pottery, and shell specimens recovered from other Dawenkou cultural sites, together with their archaeological contexts in burials, it can be argued that these artifacts were in fact ear ornaments（erdang）. Such ornaments are mainly found in the middle to late phases of the Dawenkou culture, with evidence suggesting a shift in use from male to female wearers. Beyond the Haidai region, similar forms, which were made of jade, pottery, bone, antler, or ivory, also appear in surrounding cultural contexts, including the middle Yellow River sites of Dahecun, Qingliangsi, and Bicun; the middle Yangtze sites of Diaolongbei, Chengtoushan, and Daxi; and sites in the lower Yangtze north and south such as Lingjiatan, Dongshancun, Sanxingcun, and Qiuchengdun.

QIN Xiaoli...........................................................101 

Social Transformations in the Late Liangzhu Culture as Reflected in Jade Workshops and Funerary Rituals 

Abstract：This study focuses on several newly discovered jade-processing workshops within the Liangzhu site complex, as well as on the consumption side of jade-funerary contexts and associated grave goods. By examining changes in workshop production and the composition of jade assemblages in burials after the peak of the Liangzhu culture, the paper explores the corresponding transformations in social structure. Furthermore, it investigates how jade, highly esteemed as a key ritual medium by the Liangzhu early state, underwent changes during its internal social development, and situates these changes within their broader social context.

LIU Jialin et al. ..................................................113 

On the Structural Evolution of the Erlitou-Style Yazhang Based on the Newly Discovered One 

Abstract：The Yazhang artifact is regarded as one of the most influential and enduring ceremonial jade artifacts of the Erlitou culture, carrying potential political significance in the formation of early states. This paper examines a Yazhang unearthed at the Erlitou site, with particular attention to the detailed features of its serrated side edges （Feiya）. The analysis sheds light on the chronological sequence of Yazhang artifacts at Erlitou. Furthermore, by reconstructing the structural formation process of the Erlitou-style Yazhang, this study investigates its stylistic evolution and broader cultural implications.

WU Jiabi......................................................122 

A Study of the Wei Furen Ding Bronze Inscriptions 

Abstract：The inscriptions on the Wei Furen Ding, unearthed from the Chu tomb at Xujialing, Xiasi, Xichuan, indicate that in the year of Tai Sui in Shen, the vernal equinox occurred in the constellation Kui, with the new moon and the equinox coinciding on the first jia day of the first month. By correlating the archaeological dating of the bronze vessel with these three elements—solar term, new moon day, and year designation—the astronomical year can be uniquely determined as the 21st year of King Hui of Chu（468 BCE）. This year’s“sui in Tuntan（Shen）”corresponds precisely with the Tai Sui year designation in the Zhuanxu Calendar. This represents the earliest known physical evidence of a Tai Sui dating system, carrying significant importance in the history of Chinese astronomy and calendrical science.

ZHONG kun et al.  ............................................131 

Surface Analysis Pottery Ritual Vessels Imitating Bronze Unearthed from the Qin Cemetery at Wenxi, Lingbao, and the Related Issues

Abstract：Imitation-bronze pottery is a special type of ritual vessel that appeared under the ritual system of Shang and Zhou tombs. This paper focuses on the imitation bronze pottery unearthed from the Qin tomb in Wenxi，Lingbao.and we employed portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (p XRF)，X-ray diffraction (XRD)，and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to test and analyze the surface coating of the samples，with the aim of revealing their composition and craftsmanship characteristics. The analysis results show that the imitation bronze pottery unearthed from the Wenxi cemetery can be divided into two types: those with tin foil applied to the entire pottery and those with tin foil applied to form patterns. The tin coating technique may have involved using animal glue to stick the tin foil to the surface of the pottery. Through a comprehensive analysis of the distribution of the coating，decorative features，and craftsmanship，it was found that the Qin cemetery in Wenxi may also have used a combination of tin coating patterns and colored painting. This study enriches our understanding of the decorative techniques used in imitation bronze pottery and provides new information for exploring the ritual system and craftsmanship of the Qin people's imitation bronze pottery