Turquoise in Qijia Culture: A Nexus of Technology, Exchange, and Social Complexity in Northwest China

Abstract As a key Bronze-Age culture in Northwest China, the Qijia Culture is renowned for its jade artifacts and metallurgy, yet its numerous turquoise objects remain critically insufficiently explored. This study investigates turquoise artifacts through typological analysis and cross-cultural comparisons. It reveals that the Qijia communities not only preserved technical and stylistic elements from the Majiayao and Lower Changshan cultures but also transformed the social meaning of turquoise—from personal adornments into mortuary ritual objects. Furthermore, Qijia turquoise objects reflected mineral resource integration and indigenous technical traditions, positioning Qijia communities to serve as intermediaries between the Hexi Corridor and the Central Plains. The technical expertise and cultural legacy embodied in these turquoise objects underscore the frontier region's crucial role in advancing civilization through resource and technological integration, and reveal that Qijia communities played a dual role in the entire Bronze-Age turquoise production and distribution network in Northwest China.