A 3000-year-old jade dagger

This is one of my favourite ancient jades. It is not a new find. It was excavated nearly twenty years ago from a tomb at Yinxu in central China’s Henan province. It was found in an almost perfectly preserved burial pit containing the remains of a nobleman from the late Shang (more than 3,000 years ago). Inside lay a coffin covered in crimson lacquer, surrounded by 15 human sacrifices and 15 sacrificial dogs, as well as an extensive array of goods the man would need in the next world.

Nearly 600 artefacts were discovered. Among the finds were more than 200 jades the best of which was this amazing dagger. It is dark green and features a curved blade and handle. Both sides of the blade are finely polished and etched with bird patterns on each side.

The Dagger. Total length 25.5 cm, width 2.9-3.3 cm, thickness 0.5 cm

Little is known about the grave’s occupant but there is no doubt he was a warrior. Inscriptions on some of the bronze vessels in the grave name him as Ya Zhang. Or General Zhang. He was buried with seven bronze axes, the largest of the axes, weighing six kilos shows signs of having been used in battle.

Close examination of the skeleton puts his age at around 35 years when he died. It seems Genera Zhang may have died from wounds sustained in combat.  There are seven distinct injuries on his remains, including three sharp cuts on his left upper arm, slashes on the front of his left rib and the rear of his thigh and a severe wound on the right side of his pelvis

This dagger demonstrates the superb skill of Shang dynasty jade carvers, who were meticulous in selecting their material and expertly hollowing, drilling, and polishing their work.