New book reflects on defining decade of archaeology

Archaeologist Peng Xiaojun of the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recalls how, in 2013, he and his colleagues had to tether a hot-air balloon to themselves while taking aerial photographs of a site in Hubei province, worried it might drift away. By 2017, one of his colleagues had assembled a drone capable of capturing panoramic views. Today, drones are widely available and have become an essential tool in archaeological fieldwork.

"Over the past decade, advances have extended far beyond equipment and technology. China's archaeological research has made progress across many fronts," Peng said at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday, where scholars presented the institute's latest academic achievements.

Among the highlights is a new book, The Past Decade of Chinese Archaeology (2016-26), compiled by institute researchers. The volume provides a comprehensive review of the evolution of archaeological research in China over the past 10 years.

The book is divided into 12 chapters, covering not only major findings from different periods — such as the Neolithic, Xia (c. 21st century-16th century BC), Shang (c. 16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c. 11th century-256 BC), and from the Qin (221-206 BC) to the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties — but also cutting-edge topics, including the use of big data and artificial intelligence in archaeology, technological and scientific applications in archaeology, and archaeological work in border regions, according to Peng, who contributed to the volume.

Peng said two key themes have defined Chinese archaeology over the past decade: the origins of Chinese civilization and the question of "what makes China". These priorities reflect major national research programs aimed at demonstrating that China's history encompasses more than a million years of human activity, 10,000 years of cultural development, and over 5,000 years of civilization.

International collaboration has also become a defining feature of the field, according to the book. In addition to hosting academic forums and conferences, Chinese archaeologists have increasingly partnered with overseas counterparts on excavations abroad, contributing to a broader understanding of Chinese civilization in world history.

Another book highlighted at the conference, Way of Wisdom That Bridges the East to the West, examines Chinese archaeologists' collaboration with local professionals at five key sites of ancient civilizations, such as the Temple of Montu in Egypt, the Mingtepa and Munchaktepa sites in Uzbekistan, and the Dobrovat site in Romania.

Jia Xiaobing, head of the institute's world archaeology research office and a contributor to the book, said the five projects reflect China's growing role in international archaeology. They have produced valuable firsthand research materials while helping to fill important gaps in related academic fields.

"Over the past decade, China's overseas archaeological work has undergone a profound transformation — from occasional participation to systematic leadership, from exporting technology to jointly developing research concepts, and from following international trends to helping shape them," Jia said."Chinese archaeological ideas, methods and technologies are now making a stronger contribution to global archaeological research."

The growing integration of science and technology is another major trend highlighted in The Past Decade of Chinese Archaeology (2016-26)."Multidisciplinary research has become standard practice. Techniques such as ancient DNA analysis, high-precision dating, 3D modeling, and laboratory archaeology are now widely used, making collaboration across disciplines an integral part of archaeological research," Peng said.

For example, the conference also highlighted an essay compiled by field archaeologists and archaeometry (scientific methods and technology used in archaeological studies) professionals about the carbon dating of the Erlitou site in Luoyang, Henan province, widely believed to be a late capital of the Xia Dynasty.

Chen Xianglong, a researcher at the institute's research center for archaeological science and experiment, said the chronology of the site was once established mainly through comparisons of pottery forms. Today, researchers can analyze key remains and apply carbon-dating techniques to develop a far more precise understanding of the site's timeline and evolution.

"Archaeometry studies allow us to gain richer archaeological information, expand the scope of research, deepen our analysis, and improve the efficiency, depth and precision of our work," Chen said.