A Short History of Archaeology in China: Digs and Dreams

At one time, archaeology was not a place for outsiders. But in recent years, it has captured the public imagination in China with movie blockbusters about tomb raiding like The Lost Tomb and the mysterious new findings of the Sanxingdui excavations. There is even a popular toy that lets children play archaeologist: a box containing a Terracotta warrior replica buried in dirt and tiny excavation tools. You have to clean it with the tools to discover what kind of Terracotta warrior you got. It could be a standing or a kneeling warrior, or even an emperor.  Archaeology involving excavation, scientific research and modern techniques started in the West only 150 years ago, and was brought to China about 90 years ago. Like in the West, archaeology in China was also the shared dream and passion of a businessman and a group of scholars, a dream that was also fed by Western-led expeditions in China.