Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
NEW CHINA ACTIVE
IN SCIENCE FIELD
Or. Chi Lii of Smithsonian
Says Archaeology win Be
Vigorously Developed.

The new China has officially recog-
nssed modern science.
According to DR.. CHI Ii field archeoi-
oSiSt Of the rreer Gallery under the
Smithsonian Institution, who was here
this past week on his way To Europe,
one of the first acts Of tbs new Nation
aiist government was the creation Of a
National Research Institute, Though
ohscureo by the front-Stsse political
and military activity in China, Or, III
Believes this act offers an important
KEY 10 the quality Of the new power
In his country. II proves that the new
Chira is abreast of the world.
The purpose of Chins's National Re-
search institute" said DR., Ii. lis ex-
dressed in q phrase borrowed from the
Smithsonian Institution--the increase
and 6ifTuSion of knowledge. The inSu-
tute has already organized an eXpe-
dition 10 the province of Kwang 81 TO
study the geology. paleontology. zoology
and botany Of the province, The eXpe-
dition hopes also to include eventually
anthropclcgy and archaeology III It's
scope,
support OF Work.
The cost of the expedition is shared
by the national government and the
provincial government of Kwang ST.
The institute hopes in this way to de-
velop systematic scientific exploration
of every province in China. ! am very
sure that the next 10 or 20 years will
see revolution i'm the study OF archeoi-
ngy in my country and a great develop
rlent IN all other sciences. All We need
Is 6 stable government"
The membership Of the National IN
atitute includes 30 outstanding Sclen-
lists OF China Dr. Ii represents archie
nlogy in the membership. snd was the
first scientist appointed to the new or
sanitation He will continue as field
representative Of the Smithsonian ans
the Freer Gallery. In fact, the Smith
Ronian plans to cooperate actively with
the new institute. 1t is DR., Lis opinion
that the new growth of national self
consciousness has considerably bright
ened the outlook for foreign co-operG-
ton in scientific research IN China.
Science in China.
In sketchlne the history OF modern
science in his country, DR.. Lii said that
the rirst national activity of importance
began with the founding of the Chinese
Republic in 1912. Shortly thereafter
a science society was organized in this
country to difTuSe in China the Scien-
tidc knowledge accumulated by the
Western. world In 1920. biological
laboratory was established al Marking,
and there is q movement on foot ST
present to establish a second labora-
tory at Peking.
Research of considerable Importance
has been done in the universities. AT
present, all Chinese universities teach
tx
uteS of Chinese institutions have done
gacceSsful postgraduate work in Amer
lean universities AS a result OF this
situation the body of Chinese scholars
capable of doing original scientific
work is growing rapidly.
The most productive native inStitu-
ton. according TO DR. Ii, has been the
Geological Survey Of China, organized
about q dozen years ago. Its geology
cal archaeological. and archaeological
reports are internationally known.
Interest in Archaeology.
Or Ii points out that the reverence
b which the classics arr nelo IN TINS
country naturally makes the subject Of
arclle0iogy appeal % educated men
In 1923 . swedish arcneologist %
the MUSEUM az Stockholm. Dr.. j. 8.
Andersen, mace discoveries which open
d new chapter in Chinese atcheoiogy.
In the provinces of Honan and kanSu,
he ur1eartaed bone and stone nipple
naerSs and pottery fragments which
represented a material culture Unlike
ANYTHING that had been known from
China before that time. The discov-
cries bore considerable resemblance 10
finds of prehistoric material mace IN
MeSopoiaIlia and in Persia, Iect
.f1ich suggested that the various sec
ticIs OF the prehistoric world were not
80 Isolated as had been supposed. III.
ANDERSEN dated the period. N whlcn
the culture which ne uncovered NAG eA-
listed at about 5000 &c.
In 1925 DR.. Ii Joined the Freer Gal
Ie-y expedition to China which vas
headed By Carl Whiting Bishop, and
undertook an archaeological surrey 81
the Fenz River valley in Shansi Prov
iace. Two prehistoric sites similar 10
tIacze excavated by Dr. Andersen were
found and later investigated.
The Smithsonian Freer expedltlon
took pairs 70 avoid the dinlculIes
winch peasant superstition places IN the
way Of excavation In China. In coun-
try Of ancestor worship 1t Is sacrilsge
To disturb the graves Of the dead. OF
course.
Watched by Natives.
when we began excavating said
Or. Il. gentry and peasants alike kept
constant watch upon lie. They could
not believe that We would work so hard
b collect pieces Of broken pottery and
we're convinced that We were IN search
CT treasure of one SORT or another.
One day one Of my most intelligent
vorknlen came upon human skeleton.
without attracting the attention OF the
Usual crowd of onlookers he notified
me and I directed him TO avoid uncov-
erinS the skeleton. Had the peassntry
seen it they would have made serious
trouble fer US and ! was worried 10
know how We were going to avoid let
ting them see IT, Fortunately. the next
day rain came end kept the watchers
indoor 80 that We we're able 10 re-
move the skeleton unobserRed.
1T is still TOO soon TO attempt reg
flizr excavation of old tonnbs in China
A leng process Of popular education
will have To precede that. At present
gre must restrict ourselves 70 village
eites where there lis less chance Of Of
tending religious scrupies.
However. as DIR Ii points out, the
AeSnoiliug Of tonfDE Is common enough