Archaeology in China Today

More than a thousand years ago, Chinese scholars recorded ancient inscriptions, explored historic sites, and studied cultural objects. This investigation and veneration of the past has continued through the centuries, and in the early twentieth century, scientific archaeology led to important anthropological, sociological, and artistic discoveries. With the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, new laws for the protection of ancient materials were established, and a system was developed for the preservation of cultural properties and oversight of archaeology. Subsequent generations of Chinese archaeologists have enriched our knowledge about the origins and continuity of Chinese civilization from prehistoric times to the present.