人类学学报 ›› 2026, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (04): 801-814.doi: 10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0061cstr: 32091.14.j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0061

• 综述 • 上一篇    

旧石器时代装饰品着色研究的回顾与思考

魏屹()   

  1. 国家自然博物馆北京 100050
  • 收稿日期:2024-11-06 修回日期:2025-03-30 出版日期:2026-08-15 发布日期:2026-08-12
  • 作者简介:魏屹,女,副研究员,主要从事旧石器时代考古学研究。E-mail: weiyi@nnhm.org.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家社会科学基金青年项目(19CKG003);国家自然博物馆整体提升研究型博物馆建设项目

A review and reflection of coloration studies on Paleolithic personal ornaments

WEI Yi()   

  1. Natural History Museum of China, Beijing 100050
  • Received:2024-11-06 Revised:2025-03-30 Online:2026-08-15 Published:2026-08-12

摘要:

从旧石器时代中晚期开始,人类将赭石颜料和热处理技术应用于早期装饰品着色,通过有意识地改变装饰品的色泽以强化其视觉效果,并将所传递的信息进一步复杂化。赭石利用、热处理技术与装饰品的出现目前均被视为人类行为现代性的标志,受到国内外考古学界的广泛重视,而装饰品颜色的改变是否人类有意识的着色行为仍需通过科学的分析研究来证实。本文梳理了赭石颜料和热处理技术在旧石器时代装饰品制作中的应用及典型研究案例,介绍国内近年来的相关发现与研究进展,为更全面地理解旧石器时代人类的审美追求、技术水平和认知能力提供了重要视角,对综合利用多学科分析以建立更完善的研究体系具有重要意义。

关键词: 赭石, 热处理技术, 旧石器时代, 装饰品

Abstract:

During human cognitive evolution, the emergence of symbolic thinking facilitated the birth of early human artistic creation and decorative practices. Archaeological evidence indicates that early humans possessed both the capacity to identify and collect decorative materials and the technical expertise to modify their appearance. The application of ochre pigments and heat treatment technologies represents a particularly significant development in this process. From the Middle to Late Paleolithic periods, humans employed ochre pigments and heat treatment to color early personal ornaments, deliberately changing their appearance to enhance visual impact and enrich symbolic meaning. The employment of ochre, heat treatment, and the advent of personal ornaments are regarded as hallmarks of behavioral modernity, garnering significant attention from Paleolithic archaeologists.

Archaeological evidence from Paleolithic sites demonstrates that ancient humans had already mastered ochre’s properties, applying it to personal ornament coloration following grinding and processing. Heat treatment technology reflects their capacity to manipulate temperature for modifying the color and texture of personal ornaments, thereby expanding the expression of these objects. However, the intentionality behind the color changes in these personal ornaments remains to be substantiated through detailed scientific analysis. Recent research has yielded important discoveries in this field, providing methodological frameworks and empirical evidence.

This study reviews current research on ochre pigments and heat treatment technologies applied in Paleolithic personal ornament coloration, both domestically and internationally, to comprehensively explore the technological innovations and cognitive development demonstrated in personal ornament production. This investigation aims to characterize behavioral modernity in Paleolithic populations and establish a comprehensive framework for personal ornament research. The analysis also approaches this phenomenon through the lens of the significance of color for early humans, examines the distinct behavioral patterns and cognitive levels reflected in different coloration behaviors, and attempts to briefly analyze the reasons for the temporal and spatial variations in personal ornament coloration practices documented in the archaeological record.

Future research can be conducted from multiple dimensions including archaeology, cognitive science, and sociocultural perspectives. It can not only reveal the complexity of Paleolithic personal ornament coloration techniques and interpret the social significance of symbolic behavior in early decorative traditions, but also contribute to understanding issues of social complexity characterized by specialized craft production. Advancements in research methods will continue to expand opportunities for retrieving information on personal ornament production techniques and color utilization, offering enhanced perspectives for in-depth analysis of early human complex behaviors.

Key words: Ochre pigment, heat treatment, Paleolithic, personal ornament

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