NOVELTY - A composite material is obtained by dispersing carbon fine powder and fine powder (P1) in matrix containing lithium-silicon oxide (I) having lithium-oxygen-silicon bonding. The fine powder (P1) is chosen from metal silicon fine powder, silicon-based alloy fine powder, silicon oxide fine powder and tin fine powder.    USE - Composite material is used for electrode active material for electrode of electrical storage device e.g. lithium secondary battery and lithium-ion secondary battery (all claimed). Uses include but are not limited to power supply of portable small-sized electronic device e.g. video camera, personal computer, word processor, radio cassette recorder and mobile telephone, hybrid motor vehicle, electric vehicle and electric power storage.    ADVANTAGE - The composite material is economically manufactured by simple method, and provides lightweight battery having excellent charging and discharging characteristics, and capacity retention ratio and improved cycle characteristics.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A composite material is obtained by dispersing carbon fine powder and fine powder (P1) in matrix containing lithium-silicon oxide of formula: LiaSiOb (I) having lithium-oxygen-silicon bonding, where a and b are more than 0 to less than 4. The fine powder (P1) is chosen from metal silicon fine powder, silicon-based fine alloy powder, silicon oxide fine powder containing silicon oxide of formula: SiOx (II) and tin fine powder, where x is more than 0 to less than 2. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) electrode active material, which consists of composite material; and    (2) manufacture of composite material, which involves mixing fine powder (P1), lithium compound, crosslinkable group-containing organic compound (A) and silicon-containing compound (B) which crosslinks compound (A) to obtain mixture, crosslinking-reacting compounds (A) and (B) in obtained mixture to obtain hardened material, and heat-processing the hardened material at 300-1500 degree C under vacuum or inert gas.