Bencao archaeology: A novel interdisciplinary field of herbal medicine and archaeology

Abstract

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a characteristic of ancient China. It is also an important feature of Chinese medicine and archaeology. Traditional Chinese pharmacology is called “ Bencao ”. Therefore, research on archaeologically unearthed drugs or medicine-related sites and relics is called Bencao archaeology. Bencao archaeology is a field of research on medicine-related archaeological sites and relics. The common goals of Bencao archaeology and archaeology in general are to understand the history of ancient human beings and how they prevented and treated diseases. The culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine is extensive and profound, and it has a long history. With the growth and development of archaeology in the twentieth century, many drugs or drug-related ruins (remains) have been unearthed, laying a solid foundation for carrying out Bencao archaeological research. Bencao archaeology applies modern archaeological theories and research methods and explores the relationship between humans and drugs based on unearthed drugs or medicine-related sites and relics. The findings of such research help reconstruct the temporal and spatial framework of the cultural remains and the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine, uncovering the historical process of the development of Chinese medicine. Bencao archaeology reveals the origin and development of drugs, their formation and transformation, and their production process. The main part of Traditional Chinese Medicine is plant medicine. There is a close correspondence between Bencao archaeology and plant archaeology. Both conform with archaeology in general. They discuss ancient human culture, reconstruct ancient human lifestyle, and explain the development and process of human culture. However, there are several differences in research objects, research methods, and problems between the two. Unearthed drugs or medicine-related sites and relics are the research objects of bencao archaeology; for example, health equipment, medicine tools, drug measurement tools, medical documents, herbs, and other medicine-related sites and relics. On the other hand, the research objects of plant archaeology are plant remains unearthed from archaeological sites. With regard to several aspects mentioned in this paper, Bencao archaeology and plant archaeology have an interactive relationship; their characteristics intersect, and they promote and supplement each other. Bencao archaeology is a new field that integrates archaeology with herbalism. Its nature and foundation lie in both herbalism and archaeology. At present, this research field is still in its infancy, but it has broad prospects for development. We need solid archaeological evidence to actively promote the progress and development of this field. This paper expounds the new interdisciplinary field of Bencao archaeology from many aspects, such as its foundation, definition and subject orientation, objects of study, research direction, and relationship with other branches of archaeology, thus providing a novel research path to extensively study herbal medicines.