International Cooperation in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Conservation Before the Founding of the People's Republic of China
From the late 19th century to the early 20th century,a significant amount of archaeological activities conducted by Western explorers in China,often accompanied by destructive looting of cultural relics and monuments,spurred an increase in aware-ness surrounding cultural heritage conservation in China and facilitated the emergence and development of archaeology.The archeo-logical work before 1949 had two forms:collaborative archaeology involving both Chinese and foreign scholars and independent in-vestigations conducted by Chinese scholars.During 1914-1924,most of the proactive field surveys and excavations were carried out by foreign scholars hired by Chinese government agencies,although some Chinese scholars began to participate as well.From 1926 to 1949,archaeological efforts entered a preliminary development phase,establishing an initial international cooperation model.Looking back at the formation and development of international cooperative archaeology and cultural heritage conservation in China during the Late Qing and Republican periods,we can trace the evolution from projects such as the Sino-Swedish collaboration at the Shaguotun Site of Jinxi,Liaoning and the Yangshao Village Site of Mianchi,Henan—initiatives demonstrating a certain level of cooperative spirit—to the Sino-American cooperative excavation of the Xiyin Village Site,as well as the formation of more structured organizations like the Sino-Swedish Northwest Scientific Expedition Team and Sino-American cooperation in the Zhoukoudian Site archaeology.Throughout these early practices,the increasing establishment of cultural heritage conservation awareness in China was accompanied by a strong rise in sovereignty consciousness and the budding development of international cooperation sentiment.The early practices of Chinese-foreign archaeological collaboration underwent numerous trials and adjustments,transitioning from non-cooperation to cooperation,and evolving from unequal partnerships to equal collaborations,ultimately progressing toward an interna-tional cooperative archaeology approach characterized by mutual respect and equitable management.Early cooperative archaeology was established based on mutual benefits and reciprocity,with clear scientific research objectives.It involved strict management systems and operational mechanisms regarding various aspects such as project application approvals,funding sources,personnel composition,ownership of cultural relics,and copyright of publications.The formation of international cooperative archaeology and cultural heritage conservation before the establishment of the People's Republic of China was closely related to the activities of foreign experts conducting archaeological work in China,which stimulated and propelled awareness among Chinese people regarding cultural heritage protection,sovereignty over cultural relics,and the importance of international cooperation.This process reflected the changing attitude of foreign parties towards respecting Chinese sovereignty and underwent a challenging transformation from unilateral actions by foreigners or institutions to unequal cooperation led by foreign parties,ultimately evolving into a stage characterized by mutual respect and equal collaboration.The legal regulations enacted in the early 20th century,including the Law on the Preservation of Antiquities,the Regulations on the Excavation of Antiquities,and the Regulations for Foreign Academic Organizations or Individuals Participating in the Excavation of Antiquities,put an end to the rampant looting of Chinese cultural relics by foreign scholars.This marked the beginning of a legally grounded phase for cultural heritage protection in China and signified the official initiation of modern international cooperative ar-chaeology and cultural heritage conservation efforts in the country.
Chinese archaeologycultural heritage conservationinternational cooperation
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