Episode 8: Hongshan Jade Horseshoe Bracelet/Pendant — The Lucky Symbol of Hunting Cultures

In the last episode, we examined a Hongshan jade armguard, a relatively common design from the Hongshan culture. This artifact challenged the long-held historical perception that Chinese civilization was solely rooted in superior agricultural traditions, often seen as more refined than hunting or nomadic cultures.

Since 221 BC, when Emperor Qin Shihuang built the Great Wall along mountainous terrain, Chinese culture—known as Huaxia (華夏), meaning "beautiful grandeur"—was positioned as the "center of the world." Surrounding peoples were labeled as "barbarians": Yi (夷) in the east, Man (蠻) in the south, Qiang (羌) in the west, and Di (狄) in the north.

But artifacts like the jade armguard tell a different story—one where the sophisticated craftsmanship of hunting cultures was anything but "barbaric."

Today, we’ll go deeper by analyzing a Hongshan jade horseshoe pendant, which provides further evidence that advanced hunting cultures existed alongside and were integral to Hongshan culture—and therefore, Chinese culture itself. Please refer to my YouTube episode 45 for a detailed look at this fascinating artifact.

Let’s apply our four-point check method:

1. Material

This pendant is crafted from super high-quality white jade. When struck, it produces a sharp, metallic ring with an echo—a hallmark of extremely hard jade. Based on its characteristics, this jade likely originates from Hetian, in far western China.

2. Stains and Patina

There are almost no visible stains on the jade body. However, bright orange stains and patina are present around the two rounded ends. The entire piece boasts a rich, deep luster, consistent with authentic Hongshan jade. For more details on these characteristics, please refer to my book "Hongshan Jade."

3. Design

The pendant is unmistakably shaped like a horseshoe, a symbol of good fortune for hunting cultures. This distinctive design highlights the spiritual and symbolic importance of the artifact.

4. Craftsmanship

The craftsmanship is remarkable. The main body is smoothly rounded with a super-polished finish, comparable to the finest jade craftsmanship from the Warring States Period (475–221 BC)—over 2,000 years after Hongshan culture.

However, this piece lacks the telltale marks of metal tools. Instead, the notches carved inward from all directions suggest it was crafted using stone slabs, a technique consistent with the stone tools available during the Hongshan era.

Creating a jade ring or bracelet was already a difficult task 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. But carving a horseshoe shape with rounded ends that could be strung together was even more challenging. The effort and precision poured into this pendant suggest that it held great significance for Hongshan people.

Cultural and Historical Insights

This artifact raises fascinating questions:

• The material appears even harder and clearer than typical Hetian jade.

• Did people carry this heavy jade from western China to eastern China?

• Could a jade trade route have existed long before the Silk Road?

The cross-hatch motif, frequently seen on important Hongshan jade artifacts, was argued by scholar Guo Dashun to have originated from West Asia or the Middle East. Guo emphasized that we should never underestimate the mobility of ancient people. This horseshoe pendant may be evidence that Hongshan people were trading jade and design ideas with distant cultures far earlier than previously believed.

Nomadic Influences on Chinese Civilization

It’s also worth noting that in Russian, China is called “Kitan”, a reference to the Khitan (契丹), a nomadic herding tribe. If we consider the symbolic importance of the horseshoe, it becomes possible that nomadic and hunting cultures were an essential part of Chinese ancestry—not a peripheral or inferior one.

Stay tuned! In the next episode, we’ll delve even deeper into this topic and uncover more hidden stories from ancient jade artifacts.