Bell-Shaped Jade Bead

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This string of Bell-Shaped Jade Beads is in the collection at the National Museum of Prehistory in Taiwan.

The number of jade beads on the objects excavated from the site at Peinan varies depending on the object; it varies from between several hundred to just a few. On this object there are 152 jade beads, at present it is the largest number ever excavated.

These Bell-Shaped Beads were unearthed from a slate coffin near the tomb owner’s head. From the location and arrangement of the excavation, it is speculated that it was a headdress surrounding a bun or a bead attached to a headband. Overall, the Bell-Shaped Bead is crystal clear in texture, beautiful in shape, and produced using exceptional technique, which clearly expresses the decorative style of prehistoric Taiwan and is extremely precious; hence it was designated as a national treasure in 2012.

3D gallery：Bell-Shaped Jade Bead

The National Museum of Prehistory (NMP) began in 1980 with the construction of the new Taitung Station on the South Line Railway, which led to the discovery of the Peinan Site. The Peinan Site is the largest and most complete prehistoric settlement ever found in Taiwan, and has the largest slate coffin burial complex in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim.

In response to the call to preserve Taiwan’s cultural resources, the NMP was built to the south side of the Kangle Station in Taitung, and the original Peinan Site was turned into the Peinan Archaeological Site Park. The Museum of Archaeology, Tainan Branch of NMP was also established in the Southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan, where there is the most abundant cultural layer in southwest Taiwan.All these precious materials can be viewed on the “National Museum of Prehistory’s Database.”