The Oxford Handbook of the History and Practice of Chinese Archaeology

Archaeology publications tend to focus on the history of archaeology through a lens of an account and summary of discoveries without considering the contexts (cultural, intellectual, political, economic) of knowledge production that have shaped the course of these discoveries, the research questions asked, and the practice of the discipline. Chinese archaeology in particular has been presented largely in short single-author accounts that often focus exclusively on the Central Plains and to a lesser extent northern China. New and varied perspectives on this topic are essential for a better understanding of not just the practice of archaeology in China, but also a well-rounded understanding of modern and present-day China. Historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists alike would benefit from a comprehensive overview of the region and its notable relationship to the discipline of archaeology. The Oxford Handbook of the History and Practice of Chinese Archaeology is a multi-regional and multi-voiced account of the history of Chinese archaeology. It provides insights into the actors, structures, and motivations moving this history forward, from the beginnings of the discipline, up to the present day. This volume brings together 47 chapters contributed by a diverse community of scholars (archaeologists, historians, heritage specialists, and museum professionals) from Asia, Europe and North America to cover many of the most significant issues in Chinese archaeology: the discipline's origins in antiquarian practices at least a millennium old; its beginnings amid the cultural, intellectual and epistemological tumult of the early 20th century; the intersection of local and international scholarship in the formation of the discipline; the specificities of fieldwork practice and institutional organization; and the impact of scientific methods that have transformed knowledge production.

About the Author

Anke Hein , Julia Lovell Anke Hein is Associate Professor in Chinese Archaeology at the University of Oxford. She is an anthropological archaeologist focusing on issues of culture contact, human-environment interaction, ceramic technology, and the history and practice of archaeology as a discipline. She has extensive field research experience on the Chinese mainland, having worked on several international collaborative projects. She has published on the archaeology of western China in particular, mostly in leading peer-reviewed journals in English and Chinese. Book publications of hers include Graves as Composite Objects - The Burial Record of Prehistoric Liangshan, Southwest China and Understanding Authenticity in Chinese Cultural Heritage . Julia Lovell is Professor of Modern Chinese Literature and History at Birkbeck, University of London. She has published widely on modern Chinese intellectual and cultural history, specifically on the links between different cultural forms and identity construction since the late 19th century. She was the academic partner for the 2023 British Museum exhibition China's Hidden Century, which told the history of China's long 19th century through material culture. She has also translated many works of Chinese fiction into English, most recently Journey to the West (Penguin Classics, 2021).