Identification of a source of nephrite from late Shang Yinxu by multispectral imaging

Abstract

The provenance of nephrite excavated from the capital of the late Shang dynasty is an important concern. Some nephrites with yellow-green color might have the same provenance. In this study, the provenance of three nephrite artifacts with yellow-green hue was determined by nondestructive multispectral imaging. The results show that they are very similar to nephrite from Xiuyan in northeastern China, suggesting that the Shang dynasty had some connection to regional cultures more than a thousand kilometers away. Of particular importance is the fact that the multispectral imaging method opens a new avenue for the study of the ancient jade circulation.