Carbon dating confirms age of 3,800 year old ceramic bird statue

Carbon dating has recently confirmed the age of a 3,800-year-old red pottery bird statue, unearthed in central China's Henan Province.

A staff member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences shows a pottery bird statue in Xinmi, central China's 
Henan Province [Credit: Xinhua/Feng Dapeng]

The statue, 16 cm long and 7 cm tall, was painted red with cinnabar, which suggests it may have been an item of worship, according to archaeologists.

The item was found at the ruins of the city of Xinzhai, discovered in 1979 and believed to be founded by Qi, king during the Xia Dynasty, as early as 2050 BC.

Carbon dating has recently confirmed the age of the 3,800-year-old red pottery bird statue, unearthed at the ruins 
of the city of Xinzhai in Henan Province [Credit: Xinhua/Feng Dapeng]

Zhao Chunqing, from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the statue indicates totemistic bird worshiping in prehistoric China.

A large number of pottery utensils and stone tools have been discovered in the same pit, as well as an urn decorated with a leaf design and a cone-shaped tripod with pierced decoration.

The ruins of the city of Xinzhai in central China's Henan Province, discovered in 1979 and believed to be founded by Qi,
 king during the Xia Dynasty, as early as 2050 BC [Credit: Xinhua/Feng Dapeng]

According to historical documents about the Xia, believed to be China's first dynasty, Qi's son Taikang lost power and was driven out of the city by tribal leader Houyi, who was later defeated by another tribe leader Hanzhuo.

Geng Guangxiang, an archaeologist working on the Xinzhai project, said previous research suggested that both of these tribes worshipped bird totems, therefore the statue may have come from that period.

He added that Xinzhai continued to serve as the capital during the power struggles until Qi's descendant Shaokang took control of the Dynasty.

Source: Xinhua [July 12, 2017]