A Neolithic Lapidary Workshop at the Lower Reaches of Yangtze River: Chaîne Opératoire of Quartzite Ornament Production at Fangjiazhou Site

The production and consumption of ornaments played an important role in the lower reaches of Yangtze River during the Chinese Neolithic. This study analyses the chaîne opératoire of quartzite ornament production at Fangjiazhou, the earliest and largest known Neolithic workshop site in the lower Yangtze River area. Dated 6000-5600 B.P., from Late Majiabang Culture to Early Songze Culture, the site demonstrates remarkable transitions in lapidary production, from raw material selection to technological organization, during the Songze Culture period, together with significant sociocultural changes including increased number of settlements, emergent social hierarchy, regional differences, and extensive cultural exchanges with surrounding areas. Evidence for spatial organization, craft specialization, and technological choices associated with raw material selection are examined within the distinctive transitional sociocultural context of the Songze Culture to better understand the organization of production as a whole.