Researchers from the Institute of Archeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences conducted an in-depth examination of beads and bracelet fragments uncovered in a remarkable archaeological context. The multidisciplinary analysis concluded that the ornaments were crafted from birch tar, a finding that adds a new layer to our understanding of material use in ancient crafts. The results were published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, marking a significant milestone in the study of early craft materials. [Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences]
The artifacts were unearthed by field teams during surveys conducted in 2015 and 2016 at the Dayuanzi cemetery, an ancient burial site located in Yunnan province in the southwest of China. Experts estimate that the decorative items date to roughly two thousand years ago, with cultural markers pointing to a timeline spanning from around 475 BCE to 8 CE. This broad temporal window situates the site within a dynamic epoch of regional interactions and evolving material cultures, inviting researchers to consider how birch tar might have influenced jewelry practices across different communities during that era. [Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences]
Chemical and microscopic investigations revealed that the jewelry creators employed birch tar as the primary raw material rather than merely as an adhesive. Birch tar is produced through the dry distillation of wood, yielding a viscous resinous liquid. While ancient communities are known to have used tar in condensed form for binding purposes, its role as a deliberate raw material for crafting adornments appears to be a novel and illuminating discovery. The study highlights how this choice may reflect broader botanical knowledge and resource use among ancient peoples, suggesting that plant-based substances played a more varied and sophisticated role in daily life and artistic expression than previously recognized. These insights contribute to a richer picture of how craft technologies intersected with ecological knowledge in the past. [Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences]
In an intriguing note, the report mentions a prior depiction on an ancient stele found in Spain, where tar representations were interpreted in different ways by researchers. This parallel underscores the global curiosity about plant-based materials in antiquity and invites comparative analysis of how disparate cultures discovered and valued similar substances. While the Spanish stele case underscores the challenges of interpreting ancient materials, the Dayuanzi findings clearly demonstrate a concrete instance of birch tar being used as a core material in jewelry, expanding the historical narrative about resinous substances in early craft traditions. [Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences]