Network analysis of jade artifacts in Liangzhu: Exploring the relationships between Liangzhu Ancient City, Fuquanshan, and Sidun

Liangzhu culture, a pivotal prehistoric archaeological culture in the Taihu Basin, offers critical insights into the origins of Chinese civilization. A thorough understanding of the relationships between three central sites—Liangzhu Ancient City(良渚古城), Fuquanshan(福泉山), and Sidun(寺墩)—is essential for deepening our comprehension of the evolution of social organization within Liangzhu. Renowned for its jade culture, Liangzhu's jade artifacts, including their types and combinations, constitute key features of the civilization's material culture. This study presents an innovative approach by utilizing jade artifacts as a conduit to establish three distinct networks: a network of within Liangzhu society, a network of jade artifacts symbolizing power and status, and a jade cong (琮) network. These networks provide novel perspectives on the interrelations among the three sites. The findings reveal that Liangzhu society did not remain under the dominance of a single central power, but instead underwent a shift from a centralized to a multi-centered structure. Liangzhu Ancient City dominated the early phases, while Fuquanshan began to emerge as a central node in the third phase, and Sidun exhibited distinct local features in the fourth phase. The jade cong network elucidates a stepwise shift in political power—from the early dominance of the Liangzhu Ancient City, to the emergence of Fuquanshan in the later phases, and the subsequent prominence of Sidun. • The first study using jade artifacts as material for network analysis. • Dynamic network analysis reveals shifting power structures in Liangzhu society. • We visualize the process of social power transition as symbolized by jade artifacts.