The earliest known ceramic adornments: technological insights from 10,000-year-old beads at Nanzhuangtou Site, China

The earliest known ceramic adornments: technological insights from 10,000-year-old beads at Nanzhuangtou Site, China | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The earliest known ceramic adornments: technological insights from 10,000-year-old beads at Nanzhuangtou Site, China Jianxiang Chen, Jingfang Zhao, Jun Li, Wenrui Zhang, Kai Wang, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7899251/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The creation of artificial materials marks a pivotal technological advance in human history. However, evidence for the earliest use of such materials for symbolic purposes remains exceptionally scarce. This study reports the discovery of two tubular ceramic beads from the Nanzhuangtou site in North China, dated to approximately 10,000 calendar years before present. Through a multi-analytical approach including X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, we demonstrate that these beads were manufactured from locally sourced clay, formed around a plant stem to create a hollow structure, and fired at low temperatures (500–600°C). Morphological analysis further reveals distinctive wear patterns consistent with stringing and use as personal ornaments. These beads represent the earliest known ornaments made from an artificial material, predating other known examples by millennia. This discovery provides crucial empirical evidence for the application of nascent pottery technology for symbolic expression during the critical Paleolithic-Neolithic transition. Physical sciences/Chemistry Physical sciences/Materials science Ceramic beads Nanzhuangtou Site Paleolithic-Neolithic transition Personal adornment Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 15 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 14 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 09 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 03 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 03 Nov, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 30 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7899251","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":543020626,"identity":"6577f636-6eb1-4398-bf9d-16e2a2ffbb32","order_by":0,"name":"Jianxiang Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Union University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jianxiang","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":543020627,"identity":"a3bbe213-7c12-4aa9-b3d4-cc1b6e26cd0f","order_by":1,"name":"Jingfang Zhao","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA3ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxmYgUQHE/BJgPjORWs4AseQMYrWAAUiLwQ1itTC38x5+caDmjt3m2z1mEgwV1okN7GcPEHAYX5rFgWPPkrfdOQPUciY9sYEnL4GAFh4z4w9sh5PNbuSYSTC2HU5skOAxIKjF4MC/w8nGM0Ba/hGnxfjBwbbDdgYSIC0NRNrCcLDvcILEnWPFFgnH0o3beHLwazHsP2P84cC3w/b8s5s33vhQYy3bz36GgJYGBjZQvCc2gHgJQMyGVz0QyAOj5gOQtiekcBSMglEwCkYwAABmDEdAB7iVoAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Union University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jingfang","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""},{"id":543020628,"identity":"2db51e1c-174d-47bc-b89b-6efcbfbc6fc3","order_by":2,"name":"Jun Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shanxi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jun","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":543020629,"identity":"351403c7-21ae-416f-9f33-1072be8bd938","order_by":3,"name":"Wenrui Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wenrui","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":543020630,"identity":"98e30b11-958e-49df-8f69-e55294d3b169","order_by":4,"name":"Kai Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Union University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kai","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":543020631,"identity":"9ad6e2a4-4382-4753-8261-b496eed650ba","order_by":5,"name":"Xueyan Ren","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xueyan","middleName":"","lastName":"Ren","suffix":""},{"id":543020632,"identity":"1187e5e4-7f65-46e1-b4e2-fc884b255ff6","order_by":6,"name":"Wanli Zhao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Union University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wanli","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""},{"id":543020633,"identity":"57593a9c-8b3c-450e-a78c-b1301b7e05f7","order_by":7,"name":"Wen Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Union University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wen","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-19 14:38:23","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7899251/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7899251/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-47203-4","type":"published","date":"2026-04-03T15:59:42+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96242091,"identity":"33fb8aed-f445-4933-9e8c-c2ca8efa6be1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:11:59","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3528994,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Theearliestknownceramicadornmentstechnologicalinsightsfrom10000yearoldbeadsatNanzhuangtouChina10.30.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/87b153b7cf390e0eceebd3fe.docx"},{"id":95863154,"identity":"c42f359c-d858-4f3a-8cf4-2458f9b8e451","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:34","extension":"json","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":8479,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"97e00e7148694e5d91754aeef2c53db9.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/ea7db2ed19ee4ab5fe9ed4c3.json"},{"id":95863157,"identity":"dfc079f2-8636-453b-aa2d-59e1e10bef81","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:34","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":82190,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"97e00e7148694e5d91754aeef2c53db91enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/f58b94e6b8e2b909a059f43d.xml"},{"id":95863171,"identity":"c742a7a2-5fba-4344-aefa-dbee0b1c78ec","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"rar","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27193155,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figures.rar","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/17d086775a5ffaba3e9b204b.rar"},{"id":96241675,"identity":"088cd550-962a-4cfe-95b2-288188ac84c8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:11:15","extension":"jpeg","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":111291,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/7c5e40bf284b073f0e39d16e.jpeg"},{"id":95863155,"identity":"49e9ee19-14fa-4678-8087-802d65ba92ce","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:34","extension":"jpeg","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":127852,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/cbc213a0408b6acc8a770409.jpeg"},{"id":96241866,"identity":"85421951-afdc-40a0-9698-43c8401f4d6a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:11:32","extension":"jpeg","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":337781,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/d7da4d4b8bc02951382c19d9.jpeg"},{"id":95863160,"identity":"c88c204a-ba46-463d-b5c2-dbbd85ffa211","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"jpeg","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":378518,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/18537ca60b6fb82f95bbe234.jpeg"},{"id":95863162,"identity":"c23d1b0d-1ace-4133-89a6-b06268f6ff9e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1643649,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/172c88b769fdbbb4eb0ca26f.png"},{"id":95863164,"identity":"8828de9e-98f2-4d98-9335-0ac205f13b16","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":873672,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/75abd800d9b45106abb13077.png"},{"id":96240967,"identity":"2bede4ad-fac3-47b2-a07e-ad521b1ca212","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:09:47","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":48067,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/9e47e54a3a375517c90eb88e.png"},{"id":95863158,"identity":"1b0532aa-6052-44d0-a963-59ca7a5dffda","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":33324,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/e89c8760202cd8b71f03777b.png"},{"id":95863165,"identity":"218ea95a-1eef-4825-8b85-9bf53d19435c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":184037,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/895dd2034bb788b82cc82389.png"},{"id":96242168,"identity":"3f10b61c-9cc6-42f8-bcc1-6c6cf894bf87","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:12:15","extension":"png","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":130335,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/c5ed7b9a2e2fd25acf5f9bd8.png"},{"id":95863166,"identity":"66110c2b-e130-4fb1-94bd-f625615e66ea","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":15,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":416813,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/4970f95a7098ff65e3f2bbbb.png"},{"id":95863168,"identity":"86f19388-e84c-45fa-95c7-e003ca84c295","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":114088,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/37a2892bd1fc85b63b2db73f.png"},{"id":95863169,"identity":"d10ed86f-7732-41e6-950f-81664acfefe8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 18:30:35","extension":"xml","order_by":17,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":80966,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"97e00e7148694e5d91754aeef2c53db91structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/6a00230e2e55c47e89c703a5.xml"},{"id":96241862,"identity":"b367fa08-6a0c-4960-a523-2007f035a145","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 07:11:32","extension":"html","order_by":18,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":85423,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1/1dfeee5acf93be28218c2d95.html"},{"id":106343769,"identity":"4ef9b759-f36d-4a72-b28d-9e7f073ce28f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-07 16:09:06","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1224226,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Theearliestknownceramicadornmentstechnologicalinsightsfrom10000yearoldbeadsatNanzhuangtouChina10.30.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7899251/v1_covered_adba83f7-6bb4-41e1-8303-2328b9135af2.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The earliest known ceramic adornments: technological insights from 10,000-year-old beads at Nanzhuangtou Site, China","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Ceramic beads, Nanzhuangtou Site, Paleolithic-Neolithic transition, Personal adornment","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7899251/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7899251/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe creation of artificial materials marks a pivotal technological advance in human history. However, evidence for the earliest use of such materials for symbolic purposes remains exceptionally scarce. This study reports the discovery of two tubular ceramic beads from the Nanzhuangtou site in North China, dated to approximately 10,000 calendar years before present. Through a multi-analytical approach including X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, we demonstrate that these beads were manufactured from locally sourced clay, formed around a plant stem to create a hollow structure, and fired at low temperatures (500\u0026ndash;600\u0026deg;C). Morphological analysis further reveals distinctive wear patterns consistent with stringing and use as personal ornaments. These beads represent the earliest known ornaments made from an artificial material, predating other known examples by millennia. This discovery provides crucial empirical evidence for the application of nascent pottery technology for symbolic expression during the critical Paleolithic-Neolithic transition.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The earliest known ceramic adornments: technological insights from 10,000-year-old beads at Nanzhuangtou Site, China","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-13 18:30:30","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7899251/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-12-15T05:47:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-15T03:26:07+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"60746882645010127816451209569269135027","date":"2025-12-10T02:54:54+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-09T22:24:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"328790671649935480075356023874063247452","date":"2025-11-06T09:42:42+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-04T04:59:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-11-04T04:00:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-04T03:37:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-30T12:17:56+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-10-30T12:14:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"571f3a19-995b-4c97-b2d9-915015d7e4da","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 13th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":57767221,"name":"Physical sciences/Chemistry"},{"id":57767222,"name":"Physical sciences/Materials science"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-07T16:06:22+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7899251","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-47203-4","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-03 15:59:42","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 3rd, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-13 18:30:30","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-026-47203-4","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-47203-4","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7899251","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7899251","identity":"rs-7899251","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}