Jade Anthropomorphic Shaman Figure Culture: Hongshan, Late Neolithic, ca. 3500–3000 BCE

Culture: Hongshan, Late Neolithic, ca. 3500–3000 BCE
Material: light-olive, slightly zonal nephrite (tremolite–actinolite group) with natural whitish archaeological patina
Dimensions: 16,9х4,5
Provenance: Northeastern China, Liaoning Province – Hongshan cultural area

Description and Technology

Carved from a single block of fine-grained nephrite, the figure shows a vertical seated pose with folded legs and arms pressed tightly to the torso. The enlarged head with slanting occipital crest and strongly modelled round eyes dominates the composition. The mouth, nose bridge and chin are carefully defined with sculptural folds typical of Hongshan plastic style.
A small perforation through the elbow (or chest) zone indicates ancient attachment or fixation to a ritual base. The surface is covered with a compact whitish weathering crust; scanning electron microscopy confirms authentic Late Neolithic burial patina.

Comparative and Cultural Analysis

Anthropomorphic jade sculptures of this kind represent one of the rarest ritual groups of Hongshan art. They are widely interpreted as shamanic idols or spirit-protectors, reflecting a complex cosmology of fertility and ancestor worship.
The frontally seated posture, enlarged head and expressive facial modelling correspond to celebrated finds from Niuheliang and Huanshanzi. Stylistically, the piece shares spiritual and formal parallels with contemporaneous independent shamanic traditions of the Late Neolithic in northern and north-eastern China and with neighbouring cultures such as Liangzhu and early Longshan, while firmly maintaining Hongshan typological features.

Conclusion

This jade anthropomorphic shaman figure is an authentic work of the Hongshan culture (ca. 3500–3000 BCE). Mineralogical analysis, ancient patina and stylistic criteria all confirm its function as a cult idol used in high-status ritual contexts.

Terminological Note: “Shamanic Figure” in the Context of Hongshan Archaeology

The term “shamanic figure” used in this article follows established archaeological scholarship on the Hongshan culture and related Late Neolithic traditions of northern and central China.
It does not carry a modern religious meaning, but refers to a recognized category of ritual jade sculptures with the following characteristics:

• Cultic function: These objects are never utilitarian (not ornaments or tools) but occur in altars, shrines, or ritual pits, frequently associated with fertility symbols and ceremonial platforms.

• Iconography of mediation: Figures typically represent human–animal hybrids, spirits, or deified ancestors understood as intermediaries between humans and cosmic forces.

• Archaeological context: Discoveries at sites such as Niuheliang and Huanshanzi (Liaoning) show such jades placed in temples, sacrificial altars, or special ceremonial structures rather than in ordinary burials.

In this scholarly sense, the designation “shamanic” indicates the ritual and cosmological role of these nephrite sculptures within Hongshan religious practice.
It is a technical archaeological term, comparable to expressions like “cult statue” or “ritual idol,” and is widely used in academic publications on Hongshan jade.

Suggested Citation

Dronova, Nona. Jade Anthropomorphic Shaman Figure: Hongshan Culture, Late Neolithic (ca. 3500–3000 BCE). Zenodo, 2025. DOI: (insert your Zenodo DOI).

Selected References

• Childs-Johnson, Elizabeth. Jades of the Hongshan Culture: The Dragon and Fertility Cult Worship. Archives of Asian Art 45 (1992): 6–27.

• Guo Dashun. The Hongshan Culture and Its Jades. Liaoning Provincial Institute of Archaeology, 1997.

• Nelson, Sarah Milledge. The Archaeology of Northeast China: Beyond the Great Wall. Routledge, 1995.

• Larrivé-Bass, S. “Jade for Bones in Hongshan Craftsmanship.” Journal of East Asian Archaeology (2019).

• Lü Xixian et al. “Recent Studies on Hongshan Niuheliang Jade Artefacts and Ritual Contexts.” Acta Archaeologica Sinica (2020).

• Zhang Chi & Li Xinwei. “Neolithic Northeast China and Its Jade Traditions.” Antiquity (2021).

• Sun Zhouyong & Guo Dashun. “New Discoveries at Niuheliang and Implications for Hongshan Ritual Practice.” Religions 13(5) (2022): 459.

• Wang, R., Shi, X. “Progress on the Nephrite Sources of Jade Artifacts in Ancient China (Isotopic Constraints).” Frontiers in Earth Science (2022).

(Add full DOIs or URLs when uploading to Zenodo.)

License:
Text © 2025 Nona Dronova — CC BY 4.0
Images © 2025 Nona Dronova — CC BY-SA 4.0