The Forum on Frontiers of Chinese Archeology and the 60th Anniversary of the Department of Archeology at Sichuan University was held on October 31.
Xinchao Song, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration(NCHA); Jianguo Wang, Chairman of the university council, attended the forum. Also present at the forum were leaders, experts and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Shandong University, Jilin University and Northwest University, alumni of the Department of Archaeology, and heads of the provincial and municipal bureaus of cultural heritage, research institutes of cultural relics and archaeology, and museums. The family members of Prof. Zhongshu Xu and Prof. Hanji Feng, the founders of the Department of Archaeology(DOA), SCU, and representatives of teachers and students of DOA also attended the meeting. Leye Yao presided over the opening ceremony.
At the meeting, Wei Huo, a distinguished professor and Dean of the School of History and Cultures, gave a keynote speech entitled "Sixty Years of Splendid Achievements". In his speech, he expressed his heartfelt thanks to the institutions that have cared for and supported the development of Archaeology at SCU over the years, and paid high respect to Prof. Zhongshu Xu, Prof. Hanji Feng and their families as well as the older generations of SCU archaeologists and alumni for their support and contributions to the construction and development of Archaeology in their alma mater. In conjunction with the documentary on the sixty years of Archaeology at SCU, Wei Huo reviewed the development, achievements and progress of the Department of Archaeology in the past 60 years. He said that we should steadfastly promote the development and construction of Archaeology in our university, base ourselves on the southwest, eye the whole country, and strive for the world-class standard. Consequently, we will develop Sichuan University into the most important national talent training base and scientific research center for archaeology in Western China.
Ping Cao read out the school's notice on the establishment of the School of Archaeology and Museology of Sichuan University.
In front of the leaders and distinguished guests, Xinchao Song and Jianguo Wang together unveiled the plague.
In his speech, Jianguo Wang thanked, on behalf of the university and President Yanrong Li, NCHA, the Sichuan provincial government, the Chengdu municipal government and other universities for their great support for SCU’s Archaeology. He also paid tribute to SCU’s teachers, students and faculty, with Mr. Zhongshu Xu being the epitome, for their important contributions to the development of archaeology at SCU, and welcomed all the leaders and guests in attendance. He said that Archaeology of Sichuan University is one of the earliest archaeology majors in China, and the Museum of Sichuan University is one of China’s first university museums, which is among the largest university museums with the largest collection of cultural relics and specimens. At present, SCU is working hard to strengthen the development of archaeology, and establishes the School of Archaeology and Museology. The university will provide favorable policies and support for its discipline development, talent introduction, scientific research funds, etc., giving full play to the multi-disciplinary advantages of SCU’s liberal arts, science, engineering and medicine, so as to develop archaeology into a world-class discipline which is based in Southwest China and embraces the whole country. He hoped that relevant departments and institutions will remain unswerving in their care and support and work together to build an archaeology school that possesses Chinese features and Chinese styles and expounds the excellent Chinese cultural traditions of 5,000 years.
Xinchao Song, on behalf of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, congratulated on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Archaeology major of Sichuan University and the establishment of the School of Archaeology and Museology. He also expressed his gratitude toward the teachers of archaeology for their long-term commitment to teaching and discipline development.He said that NCHA will continue to support the archaeological work of Sichuan University and look forward to new and greater achievements in the archaeological work of Sichuan University as well as the School of Archaeology and Museology.
At the request of Qiang Luo, vice governor of Sichuan Province, Quansheng Liu, on behalf of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, congratulated on the 60th anniversary of the founding of Archaeology in Sichuan University. The Museum Complex of Sichuan is under construction. When it is completed, it will better serve the development of archaeology and museology in Sichuan province, inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional culture.
Xingshan Lei, Dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology , Peking University, and Binfu Zhao, Dean of the School of Archaeology, Jilin University, delivered speeches at the meeting.
Jinsong Shi, deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Shizhong Liu, director of the Bureau of Cultural Relics of the Tibet Autonomous Region, delivered speeches as alumni representatives.
After the notice of the meeting and the opening ceremony, colleges and universities, cultural relics bureaus, archaeological institutes (departments), museums and relevant research institutions sent congratulatory messages, expressing their congratulations.
At the main forum, Qiaomei Fu, director of the Ancient DNA Laboratory, Institute ofVertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Xingshan Lei, Dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, gave keynote speeches on "Learning About the Genetic Evolution of East Asian Populations via Ancient DNA " and "Ideas and Methods for Compiling Field Archaeological Reports"respectively. Afterwards, experts had a dynamic discussion and sharing at the sub forums of "Chinese Archaeology Development Seminar", "Cultivation of Frontline Archaeological Talent in the New Era" and "Cultivation of Frontline Archaeology and Museology Talent in the New Era".
