TRENDS IN ARCHAEOLOGY IN FOREIGN COUNTRIESChina
YAMAMOTO Takashi1
Although the world-wide pandemic had signiﬁcant inﬂuence on archaeological researchin China, and although it was hard to conduct normal research activities, ﬁscal 2020 saw
various research results and publication of specialized books that recapitulate the pastresearch.
As for Neolithic study, there was a publication of NAKAMURA Shinichi and Liu Bined., Hemudu & Liangzhu Culture: Reconstructing the Historical Processes through whicha Rice-based Civilization Arose in the Yangtze Valley in the Late Neolithic (Yuzankaku),
and the beginning of rice farming in the lower Yangtze valley in the Neolithic andformation of early nation states were analyzed from various angles. It is notable that there
were many results from related ﬁelds of archaeology such as zooarchaeology, strontium
isotope analysis, paleo-osteology, and paleopathology, and the multiple research methods
have provided clues to solve the social situation of the period, however on the other
hand, discussion based on archaeological methods was not adequate. It is required ofarchaeologists in the future to indicate a comprehensive social image, while absorbing
results of other ﬁelds.
Many results on bronze ware were published for studies from Yin and Zhou period toQin and Han period. Among them, a landmark work was MIYAMOTO Kazuo, Higashi
Ajia Seidoki Jidai no Kenkyu (Research on the Bronze Age of East Asia) (Yuzankaku). It isa great work that approached characteristics of bronze culture in East Asia, while keeping
the whole of eastern Eurasia in sight, but also a big issue in this ﬁeld became clear as theview of Bronze Age in the Central Plain has not been updated since the 1980s. Also, there
were many research results that utilized research data and collections of artifacts in Japan
in ﬁscal 2020, as an eﬀect of COVID-19. We may have re-recognized the importance ofdomestic data as the present situation does not able us to conduct overseas research.
As for Wei and Jin period and after, IWAMOTO Takashi, Triangular-rimmed Mirrors
Displaying Divinities and Animals Motifs and the Society in Kofun Period (RokuichiShobo) developed a persuasive discussion on manufacturing locations and periods oftriangular-rimmed mirrors with divinities and animal motifs, with continued controversy
in the past, by comparing mirrors of North China. Also, study on ceramic and porcelain
1 SEN-OKU HAKUKOKAN MUSEUM, 24 Shimomiyanomae-cho, Shishigatani, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606–8431,Japan(t.yamamoto@sen-ku.or.jp)

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JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 10 (2022): 51–52

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continued to be active. There were diverse research results such as a thesis that approachedproduction/distribution of ceramic/porcelain of the time from both historical documents
and archaeological data, and a thesis that discussed production places based on scientiﬁcanalysis.
Thus, Chinese archaeological study in Japan continued to progress despite having a
hard year. However, focusing on the post COVID-19 world, the big issue is how to resume
research in China and continue it.

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