Geoarchaeology in China: Historical Trends and Future Prospects

Abstract

Over the past century, the integration of earth science methods and concepts into archaeology has fundamentally changed the nature of archaeological inquiry to include studies that focus on archaeological site formation processes, landscape evolution, and human–environmental interactions. However, the development of geoarchaeology—the interdisciplinary field of earth science and archaeology—was not an inevitability; rather, it was mediated through individuals and institutions. We attempt to isolate core institutional components that facilitated the integration of earth science and archaeology by discussing the development of a geoarchaeological research tradition outside a Western context. Here, we examine the historical trends and future prospects of geoarchaeological research in China. As archaeology becomes more global and diverse, understanding the factors that have historically combined the fields of earth science and archaeology is a necessary prerequisite for catalyzing interdisciplinary research. We argue that China’s increasingly flexible research culture, greater access to scientific methods, and long history of international and interdisciplinary collaboration have contributed to the expansion of the geoarchaeological community. In conclusion, we suggest that institutional flexibility, international exchanges, and training across disciplines are essential ingredients that foster interdisciplinary research in archaeological inquiry.