Stamped stoneware of the Maqiao Culture (ca. 3800–3200 BP) provides a key window onto emerging specialized production and regional interaction in East China. This study analyzed 117 ceramic sherds from sites along the Qiantang River, and the principal component analysis (PCA) of trace-element data shows that samples form two distinct compositional groups, relating with contrasting geological backgrounds from the north and south separately. Zhangshan stamped stoneware shows a strong provenance link with the northern production zone, while a subset aligns closely with local production. These results imply that the production of Maqiao Culture stamped stoneware featured both centralized and dispersed modes, and the Qiantang River marked an important boundary between two regional ceramic production-distribution systems, culturally corresponding to different pottery groups. This study also highlights the role of stamped stoneware as a key medium through which emerging economic networks and sociopolitical complexity were articulated in the Maqiao Society.
Ju et al. (Wed,) studied this question.