PKU Archaeology History

Text by Shen Ruiwen

Photos courtesy of Shen Ruiwen

I witnessed the dawn of the golden age of PKU and Chinese archaeology.

师生在宽松的情景中学习，不但收获了课堂外的知识，也感受到企业文化的魅力。结业后，学生根据对公司文化的认可度及个人兴趣，选择是否去公司实习或就业，公司只接收优秀生，通过双向选择达到各自目的。

Thirty-one years have passed since I was admitted to the Archaeology Department,later the School of Archaeology and Museology,at Peking University (PKU),in 1991.Over the past three decades,I have matured from a young archaeology enthusiast to a professional archaeologist involved in teaching and researching historical archaeology.Also,I have been lucky enough to witness archaeology entering its golden age both at PKU and in China at large.

在调查问卷回收工作完成以后，根据初步调查结果的整理，我们选取了几名来自飞行、机务、航务、管理岗位的从业人员进行了追踪访谈，主要就两方面的内容进行了谈话：1）当前英文版及其翻译版资料的具体使用状况，或导致从业人员对当前资料使用“不太满意”的原因是什么；2）从业人员业余英语学习的具体状况。以下为访谈录音文本及结果分析。

The history of PKU archaeology is nearly parallel to the development of Chinese archaeology.After modern archaeology was introduced to China in 1921,PKU set up an archaeology research room in January 1922,the predecessor to its School of Archaeology and Museology.Since its founding,PKU archaeology has focused on field archaeological excavations and interdisciplinary and scientific research.Starting from scratch,archaeology at PKU has gradually developed into a sophisticated discipline featuring an interdisciplinary system integrating social sciences,natural sciences,and humanities.PKU has trained many excellent archaeological scholars.Such a positive academic atmosphere contributed greatly to the development of my generation of students,and the following generations as well.

A PKU field archaeology base,the most modern base of its kind in China so far,was arranged at a local museum in Yanchi,a county known for the site of Zhangjiachang Ancient City in northwestern China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,in September 2021.

Field archaeology is usually the top priority for teaching archaeology in universities and colleges.In 1957,senior archaeology students from PKU completed field archaeology internships in Handan,Hebei Province,marking the establishment of the “PKU Model” of teaching archaeology,a milestone in Chinese archaeology education.The first field archaeology internship independently organized by PKU was a six-month program featuring complete training across excavation,documentation,investigation,and report writing to equip students with strong fieldwork skills.This model now prevails and has exerted a profound influence on China’s archaeological education.

With the development of the archaeology discipline,the “PKU Model” has also been applied in the protection,exhibition,and utilization of cultural relics as well as laboratory archaeology.When the “Quanzhou:Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China” project was seeking UNESCO’s World Heritage status in October 2019,I presided over the archaeological excavation at the Xiacaopu iron production site of Shangqing Township in Quanzhou’s Anxi County.Following the excavation,my team built protective shelters on the site and assisted in setting up an archaeological workstation and a cultural center dedicated to the exhibition of iron production in the Song (960-1279) and Yuan(1271-1368) dynasties.In the summer of 2021,our experimental archaeology course opened there,during which students simulated the smelting process of the unearthed iron furnace.Laboratory archaeology and field archaeology internship courses fused to form a complete chain and new ways for the “PKU Model” to facilitate archaeology education.

Back in 1994,we had to overcome poor working conditions when participating in field archaeology internships in a small county in Nanyang,Henan Province.To take a panoramic image of the excavation site,we built support for a tall ladder and climbed to the top,which was rather dangerous.Today,technology has simplified the procedure,and drones are frequently seen at excavation sites.Students are proficient in constructing 3D models based on panoramic images.Electronic theodolites and RTK measuring instruments have replaced tape measures and traditional gradienters.The geographic information system makes it possible to locate exact coordinates anywhere on the Earth’s surface relative to an archaeological site.

(4)压滤机。由表3可知，压滤机入料量为109.06 t/h，此处系统能力按入料量计算，原设备的负荷能力是10 t/h×6=60 t/h，压滤面积1 910 m2，单位面积处理能力为60 t/1 910 m2=0.0314 t/m2，所需压滤面积为：1.25×109.06/0.0314=4 342(m2)，因此应在原来基础上再增加2 432 m2的压滤面积，即增加6台450 m2压滤机才能满足现有生产需求。

In recent years,I have focused on promoting the “Archaeological Base Plus” model for field archaeology internships based on coordinated efforts and resource sharing.I have traveled many times to Yanchi,a county known for the site of Zhangjiachang Ancient City in northwestern China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,for the purpose of establishing an archaeology base.Eventually,the PKU field archaeology base was set up at a local museum in September 2021,the most modern base of its kind in China so far.Last year,PKU archaeology undergraduates completed field archaeology internships there and achieved impressive academic results.

On campus,I have been actively exploring how to use digital and information technologies to improve archaeological teaching and research.At archaeological sites,I have been working on building a standard “Archaeological Base Plus” model featuring digital technology,information technology,and artificial intelligence.PKU is also working to establish overseas archaeological bases.

After studying and working at PKU’s School of Archaeology and Museology for over 30 years,I have witnessed how the school’s progress has paralleled the rise of modern Chinese archaeology.Chinese archaeology is ushering into a golden age,and China’s archaeologists should continue to explore the mysteries of Chinese civilization and preserve the common heritage of mankind.

November 15,2019:Shen Ruiwen(center,front) explains operations to visitors as head of thearchaeological excavation team at the Xiacaopu iron production site in Quanzhou’s Anxi County.