Chen Xingcan (陳星燦) (born December 12, 1964, in Henan Province) is a Chinese archaeologist specializing in the archaeology of China. Chen obtained a B.A. in anthropology (specialization: archaeology) from

Sun Yat-sen University Sun Yat-sen University (; SYSU) is a public university in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and co-funded by the Ministry of Education, SASTIND, and Guangdong Provincial Government. The university is p ...

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

in 1985. From there he went directly to study at the

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is a Chinese state research institute and think tank. It is a ministry-level institution under the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The CASS is the highest academic institution and c ...

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, where he got his M.A. in archaeology in 1988. Chen earned his doctorate from the same institution in 1991, with the dissertation topic Zhongguo Shiqian Kaoguxueshi Yanjiu (1895–1949) istory of Chinese Archaeology (1895–1949) In 1993-1994 and 2001–2003, he was a visiting scholar at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in the United States. In 1998, he was a visiting scholar at

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora, Victoria, Bundoora. The university was established in 1 ...

in Australia. Currently, Chen is Research Fellow and Director of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is also an Executive Committee Member of the Tang Center for Ancient China at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. For more than a quarter century, Chen has led excavations in the middle

Yellow River The Yellow River, also known as Huanghe, is the second-longest river in China and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system on Earth, with an estimated length of and a Drainage basin, watershed of . Beginning in the Bayan H ...

area. His work has included international campaigns with Americans and Australian colleagues. His research interests include archaeological method and theory, the history of archaeology, and the development of agriculture and of states.

Selected publications

*''The Archaeology of China: From Late Palaeolithic to Early Bronze Age'' (Cambridge 2012) *''Zhongguo shi qian kao gu xue shi yan jiu'' (1895–1949) tudy on history of prehistoric archaeology in China (1895–1949)(Beijing 2007) *''State Formation in Early China'' (co-authored with Li Liu, London 2003) *''China Before China'' (co-authored with Magnus Fiskesjö, Stockholm 2004)

References

{{Authority control Chinese archaeologists 1964 births Living people Sun Yat-sen University alumni