Abstract
Nowadays, when we speak of “the world”, it often carries a duality of meaning. On the one hand, there is a system centred around and benchmarked against the West; on the other, a pluralistic system without a fixed centre. If we could utilise the former in positioning Chinese archaeology, it would be necessary to ascertain the corner within which Chinese archaeology resides. Yet if we were to employ the latter, we risk the disorientation that comes with the lack of a standard, though I am inclined to believe that this is the inevitable trend. The reality of Chinese archaeology lies in the tension between these two paradigms. Thus, to position Chinese archaeology, we may first need to address the matter of the reference system.
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Notes
- 1.
Wei stele (weibei, 魏碑) refers to the inscribed stone steles (tablets) produced during the Wei Dynasty (220–265 CE) in China, which are celebrated for their calligraphic style. Wei stele is recognised for its strength, linear quality, and dynamic character structure. The texts on these steles cover various topics, from commemorative and funerary inscriptions to poems and edicts.
- 2.
Yan Zhenqing (顏真卿, 709–785 CE) was a leading Chinese calligrapher and a governor of the Tang Dynasty. His style of calligraphy, noted for its forceful and vigorous strokes, is considered one of the high points of Chinese calligraphy. Yan Zhenqing’s most famous work is probably the “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion” (Lanting Xu, 蘭亭序), a renowned piece of Chinese literature.
- 3.
大漠孤煙直，長河落日園. This is a famous line from the poem “On a Mission Towards the Frontiers (Shi zhisaishang, 使至塞上)”, by the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei (王維), translation by Xu Yuanchong (許淵沖).
- 4.
疏影橫斜水清淺，暗香浮動月黃昏. This is a line from the poem “Little Plum Blossoms (Shanyuan xiaomei, 山園小梅)” by the Song Dynasty poet Lin Bu (林逋).
- 5.
“The Doctrine of the Mean (zhongyong, 中庸)” is one of the Four Books in Confucianism. It is a text that elaborates on the moral philosophy and ethics that form the foundation of Confucian thought. The term “中庸” itself translates to “the middle way” or “the doctrine of the mean”, and represents a key principle of Confucianism: that of balance and harmony. The text advocates for moderation and opposes all forms of extremism, teaching that moral rectitude and social harmony can be achieved by maintaining a middle course between excess and deficiency.
- 6.
“Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors” (sanhuangwudi, 三皇五帝) is a term used in Chinese history to represent a group of mythological rulers who were believed to have reigned during the early periods of Chinese history before the Xia dynasty.
- 7.
ZhaiziZhongguo 宅茲中國 is an inscription on He Zun 何尊, a bronze vessel from the Western Zhou period. The phrase ZhaiziZhongguo translates to “settle in this Central Kingdom” (with “Central Kingdom” referring to China). The inscriptions record the history of King Cheng of Zhou relocating the capital to Luoyi. This is the first written record of the use of Zhongguo 中國 (China).
- 8.
究天人之際， 通古今之變， 成一家之言. This quote originates from Sima Qian from the Han Dynasty, known as the “Father of Chinese Historiography”. It is from the preface of his work Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, 史記). It encapsulates the author’s ambition of exhaustively studying historical facts, discerning patterns and changes throughout different dynasties, and establishing a comprehensive and objective perspective on history.
- 9.
勞心者治人， 勞力者治於人. This quote is from Mencius emphasising the importance of intellectual work and strategic thinking instead of being blindly hardworking.
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Chen, S. (2024). Positioning Chinese Archaeology. In: Exploring Archaeology. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1135-2_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1135-2_4
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