Tianyi Dong, Dept d’ Hist\u00f2ria i Arqueologia, University of Barcelona, Spain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nSince the 1950s, when archaeology became an established discipline at Peking University, women in China have actively participated in training and significantly contributed to the field\u2019s development. Despite their growing presence, gender disparities persist, with women underrepresented in publications, professional roles, and career advancement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This paper critically re-examines Chinese archaeology’s history, highlighting women’s contributions through oral testimonies and exploring their experiences overcoming professional challenges. Using oral history and documentary research, it analyses the career trajectories of female archaeologists across generations, from the 1950s to today, revealing how socio-cultural contexts have shaped their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By uncovering the obstacles women have faced and the strategies they have employed, the paper offers a nuanced perspective on their roles and achievements. It ultimately seeks to reshape the narrative around women in Chinese archaeology, emphasising their unique contributions and advocating for greater gender equity in the field. This research is part of the Arque\u00f3logas\/Herstory project (ref. PID2023-149477NB-I00).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Daughter of Dunhuang: Fan Jinshi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYanru (Corrina) Li, <\/em>School of Sociology & Anthropology, Sun Yat-sun University, China<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis paper highlights the significant contributions of Chinese archaeologist Fan Jinshi to the study and conservation of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, particularly from a gender archaeology perspective. Her completion of the Complete Works of Dunhuang Grottoes<\/em>, specifically the \u2018Archaeological Report of Mogao Caves 266-275\u2019, represents China\u2019s first formal archaeological report on a grotto temple. By employing archaeological typology, she established a periodisation framework for the caves from the Northern Dynasties through the Sui and early Tang dynasties, which remains in use today.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFan Jinshi recognised the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in archaeological reporting, integrating textual descriptions, scientific surveys, and imagery, thereby setting a new standard. In the 1990s, she successfully opposed the commercialisation of the Mogao Caves and pioneered the use of three-dimensional laser scanning in archaeology, leading to the digital preservation of 295 caves at the Dunhuang Research Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, she led the Master Plan for the Protection and Management of the Mogao Caves, establishing conservation principles and objectives based on scientific evaluations. Her work has significantly influenced archaeology and gender archaeology, enhancing the understanding and preservation of China\u2019s ancient cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe Said\u201d — A Record of Chinese Female Archaeologists from the Perspective of Oral History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nShiyu Tian and Guoding Song, <\/em>College of Arts and Science of Beijing Union University, China<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis article introduces representative Chinese female archaeologists and their significant contributions in fields such as epigraphy, museology, traditional and scientific archaeology, and cultural relics protection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through face-to-face interviews with the archaeologists themselves, their students, or family members, and by consulting relevant literature and archives, we have initially grasped first-hand materials on some members of the first female archaeological team since the establishment of New China\u2014the \u2018Liu Hulan Archaeological Team\u2019\u2014and female archaeologists who have made unique contributions to the study of the Xia and Shang dynasties in the Central Plains, such as Zheng Zhenxiang, Liu Yiman, Chen Xu, Li Suting, Wu Qian, and other scholars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The contributions of female archaeologists to the development of Chinese archaeology include but are not limited to: the introduction of a gender perspective, advocacy for gender equality, field surveys and excavations, public archaeology, education and heritage, interdisciplinary research, application of scientific methods, protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and organising exhibitions with a female theme. Their archaeological practices have been integrated into the development process of Chinese society, reflecting development of Chinese archaeology. They also support and enrich feminist theory and should occupy a place in the global archaeology and feminist theoretical systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pathways Out of Marginalisation: Women in Chinese Archaeology, on the National and International Academic Scene<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPauline Sebillaud, Researcher at CNRS-CRCAO, France; Professor, Heilongjiang University, People\u2019s Republic of China<\/em>
Qinlin Yan, Northwest University, People\u2019s Republic of China<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis paper explores different ways through which women took part in archaeological research in China during from the end of the 19th century until today. In addition to Chinese female archaeologists, the paper also takes in account the work of female scholars from other countries in China and on the special case of women workers in Chinese field excavations. Using individual case studies and statistics, retracing the place of individual trajectories in the evolution of Chinese society through a multi-scalar analysis, this paper focuses on how their contributions were systematically erased and minimised, hoping to open a discussion about how women coped with and bypass the gender biases in the Chinese archaeological community and in its academic world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Contribution of Women to Chinese Art Archaeology: A Tribute to Chang Shana, the \u2018Daughter of Dunhuang\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nLihong Wang, <\/em>Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, China<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThroughout the evolution of Chinese archaeology, women have played a pivotal role, particularly in the realm of art archaeology. Their unique perspectives and unwavering resilience in the face of challenges have enriched the field with a wealth of groundbreaking discoveries. Dunhuang, celebrated for its strategic location, invaluable historical records, and unparalleled cave art, stands as a cornerstone of international scholarly research in the 20th century. This site not only showcases meticulous design principles but also embodies a profound sense of romanticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chang Shana, affectionately known as the \u2018Daughter of Dunhuang\u2019, devoted her life to the study, interpretation, and promotion of Dunhuang\u2019s classical culture. Her work has achieved remarkable success, blending rigorous archaeological practice with artistic creativity. Through her efforts, Chang Shana has made significant theoretical and practical contributions to the field of art archaeology. As China continues to foster an environment of gender equality, it is anticipated that more women will join the ranks of archaeologists, bringing a diversity of insights and contributions to the advancement of archaeology both within China and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extinguished Fire, Non-stop Struggle: Biography of Ms Zhuo Zhenxi<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nXiaohan Wu,\u00a0<\/em>Yaozhou Kiln Museum, Shaanxi, China<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen it comes to Chinese archaeologists, people’s first reaction is to think of some famous male archaeologists such as Li Ji and Su Bingqi. However, with the development of Chinese archaeology and the awakening of women’s consciousness, Chinese female archaeologists have gradually entered the mass view. It is only then that we realise that we know very little about the stories of female archaeologists in China, whose stories cannot and should not be drowned in the long river of history. Therefore, this presentation aims to show audience the profound thoughts and magnificent life of Ms Zhuo Zhenxi, one of the first batch of female archaeologists in China, through the introduction of Ms Zhuo Zhenxi’s life and achievements, her status quo of life, her real experience and perception in decades of archaeological work and life, and her thoughts about the problems faced by female archaeologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women’s Contributions to Chinese Art Archaeology: Honouring Lin Huiyin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWanhui Huang, Nanjing University, China<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the development of Chinese archaeology, female archaeologists have made significant contributions, offering the world a wealth of achievements through their unique perspectives. Lin Huiyin, China’s first female architectural archaeologist, was a key member in the archaeological discoveries and surveys of several ancient Chinese architectural sites, including the Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, and the Dule Temple in Jixian. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to the investigation, research, preservation, and promotion of ancient Chinese architecture, achieving remarkable accomplishments in both archaeological practices and artistic expressions. Beyond her academic accomplishments, she successfully balanced family life and professional pursuits, providing modern women with inspiration on how to maintain their own identities and strive for excellence amidst multiple roles. Her life and career have inspired an increasing number of women to engage in archaeological endeavours, not only in China but also globally, bringing more diverse perspectives and contributions to this field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FORMAT: PAPER PRESENTATIONS WITH DISCUSSION Convenors: Margarita Diaz-Andreu, ICREA and University of Barcelona, Spain, m.diaz-andreu@ub.edu Tianyi Dong, University of Barcelona, Spain, tdongdon51@alumnes.ub.edu Qian Gao, Durham University, UK, qian.gao@durham.ac.uk In the same way that the acclaimed Chinese film Her Story (\u597d\u4e1c\u897f,2024) has served as a wake-up call to Chinese society by denouncing stigmas against women, a new generation of women archaeologists […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1157,"featured_media":276,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-7012","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"pmpro-has-access","7":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7012"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7935,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7012\/revisions\/7935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}