History of Chinese Archaeology

Author: Wei Juxian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Wei Juxian's academic views are known for being "novel and bold." He proposed various new theories, such as the "theory that dragons are crocodiles," the "theory that the Kunlun mentioned in the Weaving Kunlun is the same as the Lu Hun people in the Zuo Zhuan," the "theory that ancient Taiwanese aborigines had writing," and the "theory that the Chinese were the earliest to discover the Americas." He was the first to propose the concept of "Wuyue culture," opening the of Wuyue culture studies; he was the first to introduce the "Luoyang Shovel" and its uses; he proposed that the author of the Shan Hai Jing was a disciple of Mozi and the Indian Suozi; he believed that Bian Que was not a single person but a general term for scholars in various regions who studied "Western medicine," i.e., Indian medical techniques. In explaining ancient Chinese history using Western totem theory, he was regarded as being on par with Gu Jiegang, Li Zegang, and Wen Yiduo, among others. His History of Shanxi Qiaohao, was considered one of the "masterpieces" in this field. In terms of historiography, he was regarded as one of the representative figures of the "scholarly heretics who deviated from the Han-centered historical approach."
Archaeologists must argue for the commonalities among different types of civilizations while also exploring the differences and their causes that various regions and ethnic groups have shown in the process of historical development. At the same time, they must trace history from the ancient era to the medieval era, from the medieval era to the modern era, from the modern era to the present, and from the present to the future. The numismatics and epigraphy that emerged a thousand years ago in the Northern Song Dynasty and beyond served as a substitute for Chinese archaeology. However, the emergence of modern archaeology, which is based on fieldwork, in China did not come until the 1920s. China is one of the four great civilization centers of the old continent, which makes its historical archaeology very important in the history of world civilizations.
This book consists of five chapters and one appendix, with narratives suitable for various audiences. It can be categorized as archaeology, archaeological history, archaeological criticism, or a general summary of archaeological achievements. It is suitable for archaeology enthusiasts or archaeologists, history enthusiasts or historians, tomb raiders or scientists, Han-centered theorists or Western-centered theorists, as well as students at all levels.