Chugoku bunmei no kigen to denpa (The Origins and Diffusion of Chinese Civilization - A Multidisciplinary Approach through Archaeological Science)

This book, ‘The Origins and Diffusion of Chinese Civilization: A Multidisciplinary Approach through Archaeological Science’, is an academic publication systematising the pioneering achievements of the planned research project, ‘Deduction of Production Sites through Analysis of Archaeological Remains’. The project is part of the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A): ‘A New Archaeology Initiative to Elucidate the Formation Process of Chinese Civilization’. Recent archaeology has dramatically progressed in archaeological science, building upon traditional morphological studies and textual historiography, while forging close collaboration with natural and physical sciences. These interdisciplinary approaches are no longer merely supplementary tools but have become an indispensable paradigm for reconstructing historical narratives, particularly in elucidating the civilisation formation process on the Chinese mainland.
 
The book’s key originality lies in its redefinition of prestige goods—material cultures, such as lacquerware, cinnabar, jade artefacts, and specialised pottery, generally conceptualised as mere ‘symbols of authority’—from a thoroughly material-scientific perspective. It employs the latest non-destructive and trace element/isotope analyses to identify raw material origins and quantitatively reconstruct production techniques. By doing so, it succeeds in describing, as a dynamic social system, the resource management strategies, the diffusion of technological systems, and their transformation processes during the early state formation period—extending beyond a mere understanding of the circulation of goods. This methodology, which illuminates social structures from minute compositions, presents a novel perspective that re-examines the relationship between objects and humans.
 
This book’s academic significance is that it is not merely a compilation of analytical data, but rather, strongly invokes methodological rigour in archaeological science. In the modern era of increasingly sophisticated and versatile analytical instruments, data utilisation lacking deep insight into measurement principles risks generating arbitrary historical interpretations. This book meticulously details the validity of sampling according to the physical and chemical properties of artefacts, the control of analytical environments, and the process of error assessment. This approach redefines the scholarly practice of elevating physical and chemical data into historical evidence, thereby serving as an extremely insightful guideline for young researchers engaged in specialised studies. Furthermore, this book’s contemporary significance cannot be disregarded. Understanding the ageing process and composition of materials provides a scientific foundation for cultural property conservation and restoration, directly contributing to sustainable cultural heritage protection policies. Unravelling the trajectories of technological exchange and environmental adaptation through the vast scale of Chinese civilisation offers an opportunity to re-examine modern challenges within a broader human historical timeline.
 
This book, using advanced specialised knowledge, aims to illuminate the societal activities underlying these phenomena. We sincerely hope that this work will catalyse the identification of original research topics and contribute to driving the subsequent generation of interdisciplinary research.
 

(Written by SHIBUTANI Ayako, Project Assistant Researcher, Historiographical Institute / 2026)