Abstract
Ostrich eggshell beads and fragments collected from SDG site reflect primordial art and a kind of symbolic behavior of modern humans. Based on stratigraphic data and OSL dating, these ostrich eggshell beads are probably in Early Holocene (< 10 ka BP). Two different prehistoric manufacturing pathways are usually used in the manufacture of ostrich eggshell beads in Upper Paleolithic. According to statistic analysis of the characteristics of ostrich eggshell beads, Pathway 1 is identified from these collections. In pathway 1, blanks are drilled prior to being trimmed to rough discs. They exhibit great potential for the study of the origin of primordial art and the development of ancient cultures and provide important data for studying behavioral options adopted by hominids in SDG area. In addition, they bear important implications for the origin of modern humans in East Asia.
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Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB 806400) and Specific Basic Research Program of Ministry of Sciences and Technology of China (Grant No. 2007FY110200), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. J0630965) and Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Wang, C., Zhang, Y., Gao, X. et al. Archaeological study of ostrich eggshell beads collected from SDG site. Chin. Sci. Bull. 54, 3887–3895 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0620-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0620-6