Typical Bead Ornaments Made of Gem and Jade Unearthed from Han Tombs in Hepu County: Scientific Analysis and Its Inspirations for Origin Tracing

As one of the important identifiers for the interactions among different countries and areas along the Silk Road, bead ornaments have some distinctive characteristics, such as diverse materials, small size, large quantity, wide spatial, temporal distribution etc., which makes them important physical evidence for inter- and intra-regional contacts. Hepu county is one of the starting places of the Maritime Silk Road, and a large number of precious and gem beads were unearthed from the Han tomb located in Hepu. In this study, a variety of modern analysis technologies are used to analyse the typical bead ornaments unearthed from Han tombs in Hepu systematicly. The material properities and production techniques for the samples are clarified, and the possible origins are discussed. The experimental results indicate that the gemstone beads unearthed from Han tombs in Hepu mainly include beryl, garnet, agate, crystal (colorless, yellow, purple, etc.), turquoise, amber, and other types. These findings reflect the connections between Hepu region and South Asia, Southeast Asia, as well as the central plains of China during the Han Dynasty. The characteristics of the beads unearthed from Han tombs in Hepu show certain differences from those in the northern part of Guangxi, suggesting that inland rivers were important channels for communication and interaction within ancient regions, playing a significant role in regional exchanges.