A jaded view

When speaking about the Hongshan culture, which dates back to somewhere between 5,000 and 6,500 years, what most often comes to mind is the beauty of jade objects buried in the tombs of this Neolithic civilization. The pieces help people today understand the social ranks, ceremonies and customs of the Hongshan culture, of which several sites have been found and are being excavated continuously in an area stretching from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to Liaoning province in northern China. Jade from Hongshan, an archaeology exhibition now underway at the National Museum of China, and set to run through Jan 17, shows more than 160 artifacts, including jade and pottery objects, that reveal the early stirrings of Chinese civilization.

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