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Edward L. Shaughnessy serves as the Lorraine J. and Herrlee G. Creel Distinguished Service Professor in Early Chinese Studies and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. A renowned scholar of ancient China, he specializes in archaeologically recovered texts from the Zhou dynasty period (c. 1045-249 BCE), particularly bronze inscriptions, bamboo-slip manuscripts, and the classical texts Zhou Yi (I Ching), Shang Shu, and Shi Jing. His research interests focus on the intersection of archaeological discoveries and literary traditions, with particular expertise in bronze inscriptions and the Zhou Yi. Shaughnessy has pioneered efforts to bridge Western and Chinese scholarly traditions, publishing extensively in both English and Chinese. He has written seven volumes of technical scholarship in Chinese and is currently leading an international team translating Tsinghua University's fourth-century BCE bamboo-slip manuscripts. His recent scholarly output shows strong trends in paleographic studies, with numerous publications analyzing newly excavated manuscripts. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on textual transmission, historical context, and the relationship between archaeological evidence and received literary traditions. Notable patterns include systematic analysis of bamboo-slip manuscripts, comparative studies of textual variants, and interdisciplinary approaches combining philology, archaeology, and historical analysis. Shaughnessy has received recognition through his appointment as a Distinguished Service Professor, one of the highest academic honors at the University of Chicago. His scholarly contributions have significantly advanced the field of early Chinese studies through both original research and editorial work. As an educator, Shaughnessy teaches seminars on oracle-bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, bamboo-strip inscriptions, and courses on the Yi jing, Shi jing, and Shang shu. He serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the department and has supervised numerous graduate students. His current and upcoming courses include 'The Ji Zhong Discovery,' 'The Development of Early China Studies in the West,' 'Western Zhou Bronze Inscriptions,' 'The Shang shu,' and 'The Shi jing.' Shaughnessy maintains an active research program with current projects including the translation of Tsinghua University's bamboo manuscripts and serving as co-editor of the journal Bamboo and Silk. His scholarly network extends internationally, as evidenced by his 2013 lecture series at the Collège de France titled 'Unearthing the Chinese Classics,' where he presented on the Zhou Yi, Shang Shu, Shi Jing, and Laozi.

• Ancient Chinese History
• Chinese Archaeology
• Early Chinese Texts
• +6 more

Roderick B. Campbell is a Professor of East Asian Archaeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) within New York University. His research focuses on the Chinese Bronze Age, particularly the Anyang period (ca. 1250-1050 BCE), exploring themes such as violence in early complex polities, historiography, visual culture, and ancient economies. He holds a dual PhD from Harvard University in Anthropology (Archaeology) and East Asian Languages and Civilizations (Chinese History). Professor Campbell has held post-doctoral positions at ISAW (NYU), Brown University’s Joukowsky Institute, and Merton College (Oxford University). He has secured grants and fellowships from organizations including the Canadian Social Sciences and Research Council, Luce-ACLS, the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, and the Wenner Gren Foundation. His fieldwork involves collaborative archaeological projects in China focusing on reconstructing Shang political economy, with a current emphasis on zooarchaeology and bone-working practices. He serves on NYU’s PhD Admissions Committee and has authored or edited works such as Violence, Kinship and the Early Chinese State (2018) and Archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age (2014). His research spans interdisciplinary topics including Shang ontology, early Chinese economies, and comparative studies of complex societies. Campbell’s work bridges archaeological material analysis with historical interpretation to illuminate the socio-political dynamics of ancient East Asia.

• Chinese Bronze Age
• Shang Dynasty
• Ancient East Asian History
• +4 more

Yecheng (Kent) Cao is an Assistant Professor of Art and Archaeology at Duke Kunshan University and Duke University. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University (2019) in Chinese art and archaeology, an M.St. in Archaeology from the University of Oxford, and degrees in Archaeology and Anthropology from University College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research focuses on the intersection of art, technology, and transregional exchange in early Chinese societies. Research interests include the development of bronze industries in the Yangtze River region during the Shang-Zhou periods and the revival of bronze archaism in Song China and Kamakura Japan. His first monograph examines how indigenous bronze practices emerged from interactions with northern Chinese influences, rethinking Chinese state formation through frontier perspectives. He has received grants and fellowships from the Henry Luce Foundation, Getty Research Institute, ACLS, and the Smithsonian. Current projects explore medieval East Asian antiquarianism and ritual aesthetics. His teaching emphasizes global perspectives in art history and material culture analysis.

• Chinese Art
• Archaeology
• Bronze Metallurgy
• +3 more

Eugene Wang is the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Professor of Asian Art at Harvard University and Founding Director of Harvard FAS CAMLab. He specializes in Buddhist visual culture, medieval Chinese art, and contemporary Chinese art and cinema. His research explores intersections of art with cognitive science, ecology, and technology, particularly through CAMLab’s projects like Digital Gandhara and Shadow Cave. Wang earned recognition for Shaping the Lotus Sutra (2005), which received Japan’s Sakamoto Nichijin Award. His work bridges historical art analysis with modern interdisciplinary approaches, including motion capture for Dunhuang dance and quantum network simulations. He serves as art history editor for the Encyclopedia of Buddhism and has held a Guggenheim Fellowship (2005). Key Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship (2005), Sakamoto Nichijin Academic Award (2005) Labs/Teams: Harvard FAS CAMLab (Cognition-Aesthetics-Mindscape Lab) Grants/Projects: Digital Gandhara (Afghanistan/Pakistan Buddhist site mapping), Shadow Cave (cognitive Buddhist cave studies) Wang’s focus on biocentric art and cognitive frameworks redefines art historical methodologies. His recent work integrates sensorial media with spiritual experience, reflecting his commitment to pushing interdisciplinary boundaries.

• Buddhist Visual Culture
• Medieval Chinese Art
• Contemporary Chinese Art and Cinema
• +6 more

Filippo Marsili, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of History at Saint Louis University’s College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the cultural and political history of ancient China, the history of religion, and intercultural dynamics across ancient civilizations. He holds a Ph.D. (2011) and M.A. (2007) from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. (2000) from Università di Roma 'La Sapienza'. Education: Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 2011 M.A., University of California, Berkeley, 2007 B.A., Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', 2000 His research explores themes such as the role of religion in ancient Chinese empires, Greco-Roman historiography, and cross-cultural encounters. Notable works include Heaven is Empty: A Cross-Cultural Approach to Religion and Power in Ancient China (2018), which challenges Western-centric frameworks in analyzing non-Western religious systems. Dr. Marsili co-created and organizes the Matteo Ricci Speakers Series, focusing on intercultural exchanges between China and the West. His pedagogical work includes courses on East Asian history, historiography, and cultural studies. Recent publications span comparative religious methodologies, material culture analyses, and reviews of seminal works in Chinese intellectual history. His scholarship emphasizes critical, postcolonial approaches to understanding ancient cultural and religious systems.

• Cultural History
• Political History of Ancient China
• History of Religion
• +4 more

Marc Van De Mieroop, the Miriam Champion Professor of History at Columbia University, is a leading scholar in ancient Near Eastern history. He directs Columbia’s Center for the Ancient Mediterranean and serves as Founding Editor of the Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History . His research spans socio-economic and political history, historical methodology, and intellectual traditions of the ancient world. Ph.D., Yale University (1983) M.A., Yale University (1980) B.A., Katholieke Universiteit (1978) Van De Mieroop’s work explores the intellectual history of ancient Babylonia, its epistemological systems, and cross-cultural influences on Greece and the biblical world. His publications, including over 100 articles and books, examine topics like cuneiform documentation, ancient economic practices, and historiographical methods. His recent publications (2015-2023) focus on Babylonian epistemology, global historical frameworks, and administrative systems in Mesopotamia. These works highlight connections between ancient Near Eastern thought and later philosophical traditions while emphasizing the role of writing in resisting imperial control. Guggenheim Fellow (2013-14) ACLS Fellow (2016-17) Van De Mieroop’s academic contributions include translating and editing critical texts such as The Invention of Cuneiform and Uruk: The First City . His research has been supported by prestigious fellowships, and his books have been translated into multiple languages, including Chinese, Turkish, and Polish.

• Ancient Near Eastern History
• Socio-Economic History
• Political History
• +5 more

Xinyi Liu is a Professor of Archaeology and Associate Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on plant domestication, agricultural origins, and prehistoric food globalization, with a particular emphasis on millet and the prehistory of China. She leads fieldwork projects across the Tibetan Plateau, Hexi Corridor, Inner Mongolia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Her work bridges archaeology with environmental science, using stable isotope analyses, archaeobotanical methods, and geospatial modeling. She is affiliated with the Laboratory for the Analysis of Early Food-Webs (LAEF), which examines nutrition-ecology interactions in diverse environments including the Tibetan Plateau and the Lower Yangtze region. Dr. Liu serves on editorial boards for journals like Environmental Archaeology and Archaeological Research in Asia and chairs the International Work Group for Paleoethnobotany. Her recent studies highlight millet's ecological significance and its role in achieving modern food security. Her publications (2020-2024) analyze prehistoric crop management strategies, animal domestication genetics, and the socio-environmental impacts of early food globalization. These works emphasize East Asian contributions to global prehistory and the interplay between ancient culinary practices and biodiversity. Dr. Liu's lab collaborates internationally, combining bioarchaeological data with modern ecological insights to address contemporary sustainability challenges. She has advised numerous graduate students and contributes to courses on environmental archaeology, bio-molecular approaches, and culinary globalization's deep history.

• Plant Domestication
• Food Globalization in Prehistory
• Archaeobotany
• +4 more

Allison R. Miller is Associate Professor of Art History at Southwestern University, where she specializes in early Chinese art and archaeology. Her work bridges visual culture, political history, and materiality, with a focus on bronzes, court art, and the intellectual contexts of artistic production in ancient China. Education: Ph.D., Harvard University, 2011 B.A., University of Chicago, 2003 Research Interests: Her scholarly work centers on the intersection of form, materiality, and political meaning in early Chinese art. She investigates how visual forms—from bronzes to tombs—reflect and shape political ideologies, imperial identity, and aesthetic values. Her research spans narrative art, color history, and the archaeology of early imperial China , with a particular focus on the Han dynasty. Miller's publications explore the polychromy of ancient bronzes , the symbolism of jade in imperial policy , and the architectural rhetoric of imperial tombs , revealing how art was used as a tool of governance and identity formation. Recent Scholarly Activity: In 2025, she delivered multiple invited lectures in China and Germany, including presentations on animal representation in Han bronzes and the rediscovery of early Chinese polychrome sculptures. These talks reflect her ongoing commitment to international scholarly exchange and the dissemination of her research. Teaching: She teaches a wide range of courses, including Arts of China , Ancient Chinese Art & Civilization , Landscape & Environment in Chinese Art , and Theory and Methods of Art History , among others. Her pedagogy emphasizes interdisciplinary inquiry and critical engagement with both visual and textual sources.

• Chinese art and archaeology
• Ancient Chinese bronzes
• Early imperial court art
• +5 more

Paul R. Goldin is a Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on Warring States China (5th-3rd centuries BCE), integrating intellectual and cultural history with archaeology, art history, literature, philosophy, and religion. He is known for interdisciplinary scholarship emphasizing the complexity of early Chinese thought and its contextualization within broader historical frameworks. Goldin’s work critiques reductive narratives about Chinese philosophy, challenging modern assumptions through rigorous textual analysis. He has contributed significantly to debates on looted artifacts in Chinese studies and the ethical responsibilities of scholars. His publications span edited volumes, monographs, and critical reviews, demonstrating expertise in classical texts such as the Shangshu , Xunzi , and Shiji . His research trends highlight the intersection of language, power, and ideology in early Chinese texts. Recent articles address linguistic analysis of philosophical keywords, the historiography of imperial annals, and comparative philosophical readings (e.g., Epictetus). Goldin’s writings often emphasize textual fidelity and cultural specificity, resisting anachronistic interpretations. Awards and honors are not listed here, but his academic leadership includes mentoring graduate students in the EALC program, as evidenced by departmental updates. He is affiliated with the Penn East Asian Languages and Civilizations Department, contributing to its mission of interdisciplinary training for academia and industry.

• Warring States China
• Intellectual History
• Cultural History
• +4 more

Rowan Flad is the John E. Hudson Professor of Archaeology at Harvard University, affiliated with the Peabody Museum. His research focuses on the emergence of complex societies in Bronze Age and Neolithic China, particularly in the Sichuan Basin and Gansu regions. He has conducted extensive fieldwork, including surveys in the Chengdu Plain and excavations at salt production sites. His work integrates zooarchaeology, ceramic analysis, and geochemical studies to explore technological change, ritual practices, and interregional interaction. Key projects include the Chengdu Plain Archaeological Survey and the Tao River Archaeological Project. Flad critiques media bias in archaeological reporting and emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding past societies. He has authored influential books such as Salt Production and Social Hierarchy in Ancient China (2011) and co-edited volumes on ritual and economy in East Asian archaeology. His recent research examines horse domestication, burial practices, and ceramic exchange networks. Flad’s work bridges theoretical archaeology with empirical fieldwork, addressing questions of specialization, value systems, and cultural transmission in early Chinese societies.

• Chinese Archaeology
• Emergence of Complex Societies
• Interregional Interaction
• +5 more

Lorenzo Castellano is a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCLA's Cotsen Institute of Archaeology specializing in environmental archaeology and paleoethnobotany. He coordinates activities at the Ancient Agriculture and Paleoethnobotany Laboratory (AAPL) and directs excavations at Niğde-Kınık Höyük in Turkey. Previously, he served as a Postdoctoral Lecturer in Archaeology at NYU's Department of Anthropology and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. 2022 PhD – Ancient Studies, New York University, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World 2017 MPhil – Ancient Studies, New York University 2012 MA – Archaeology (summa cum laude), University of Milan 2008 BA – Cultural Heritage Studies (summa cum laude), University of Milan Castellano's research focuses on ancient agricultural systems in Western Asia, particularly examining the relationship between agricultural strategies and political complexity, the impact of climatic and environmental change on farming practices, and long-term patterns of landscape transformation. His work is strongly interdisciplinary, drawing on Archaeological Methods and Theory, Archaeobotany, Paleoenvironmental Research, and Western Asia Archaeology and History. His publications reveal a strong focus on Anatolian archaeology across multiple time periods, with particular attention to Bronze and Iron Age agricultural systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding ancient viticulture in pre-Roman Anatolia, the emergence and collapse of Late Bronze Age agricultural landscapes, and long-term environmental changes in Cappadocia. His research spans multiple geographical regions including Turkey, Italy, and China, demonstrating methodological versatility across different archaeological contexts. Castellano has participated in archaeological fieldwork across diverse chronological and cultural contexts in Italy, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Since 2015, he has directed excavations at Niğde-Kınık Höyük in Turkey. His laboratory work at the Ancient Agriculture and Paleoethnobotany Laboratory (AAPL) focuses on investigating past agricultural systems and studying archaeological plant remains, providing resources for researchers interested in plants and people in ancient contexts.

• Environmental Archaeology
• Paleoethnobotany
• Archaeological Methods and Theory
• +3 more

Camilla Sturm is a Term Assistant Professor in the Anthropology Department at Barnard College. Her research focuses on craft production, political economies, and identity in ancient China and Mongolia. She employs archaeological fieldwork combined with geochemical and experimental analyses to study pottery production and exchange. Education : - Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh - A.B., Vassar College Research Interests : Dr. Sturm examines how craft knowledge is transmitted, how economic networks evolve under social and environmental pressures, and the resilience of these systems. Current projects include studying the Shang Dynasty's political economy through a remote pottery village and analyzing technological choices in Mongolia during the transition from hunting to herding. Publications : Focus on Bronze Age China's political economies, regional settlement patterns of walled towns, and ceramic technology in marginal environments. Other Activities : Explores the sociology of archaeological narratives, including how historical 'truths' are constructed and contested.

• Archaeology
• Political Economies
• Craft Production
• +3 more

Susan Erickson is a Professor of Art History at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, affiliated with the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters and the Department of Language, Culture, and the Arts. Her teaching spans Art History/Applied Art and Human Centered Engineering Design, with office hours held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00pm to 3:00pm or by appointment. Her academic foundation includes: Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota M.A. from the University of Minnesota Dr. Erickson's research focuses on Ancient China through the lens of Chinese Art History, specializing in Han Dynasty material culture. Her work examines jade pendants, tomb architecture, funerary practices, and ritual monuments like Que pillars, bridging archaeological evidence with cultural interpretation. This scholarship explores how material objects mediated social, political, and spiritual dimensions in early Chinese society. Her publication trends from 2003-2018 reveal deep specialization in Han Dynasty archaeology, with consistent contributions to journals (*Archives of Asian Art*, *Arts Asiatiques*) and major exhibition catalogues. Key thematic patterns include systematic analysis of jade artifacts, spatial organization of tombs, death rituals, and sacred site monuments across Henan and Sichuan provinces. Her work demonstrates enduring collaboration with institutions like Cambridge University Press and museum curators.

• Ancient China
• Art History
• Chinese Art

Lothar von Falkenhausen is a Professor of Art History & Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he has taught since 1993. Educated at Bonn University, Peking University, Kyoto University, and Harvard University (PhD in Anthropology, 1988), his research focuses on the archaeology of the Chinese Bronze Age, addressing interdisciplinary and historical issues through material culture. Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology, Harvard University (1988) Bonn University, Peking University, Kyoto University His research spans topics such as ancient Chinese ritual systems, regional cultural variations, trans-Asiatic contacts, and methodological innovations in East Asian archaeology. Recent publications analyze cross-cultural art historical practices and cosmological frameworks in early imperial China. Key publications include interdisciplinary studies on salt production, bronze mirrors, and chime-bells, emphasizing material culture's role in understanding sociopolitical structures. His edited works (e.g., World Antiquarianism , Birth of an Empire ) reflect collaborations across global institutions. Scientific Awards & Honors: Society for American Archaeology Book Award (2006) Full Member, German Archaeological Institute Honorary Research Fellow, Shaanxi Archaeological Academy Honorary Professor, Zhejiang University Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow, American Philosophical Society Corresponding Member, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Active in academic governance, he served on the Scientific Council of the French School of Far Eastern Studies and President Obama’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee. As Associate Director of UCLA’s Cotsen Institute (2004-2014), he advanced international fieldwork projects like the Yangguanzhai Archaeological Field School.

• Chinese Bronze Age archaeology
• Pre-Imperial China
• Ritual practices
• +6 more

Haicheng Wang is a Professor and Mary and Cheney Cowles Endowed Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Washington's School of Art + Art History + Design. His research focuses on Chinese art and archaeology, comparative studies of early civilizations, and the role of writing in ancient states. He holds a PhD from Princeton University (2007) and an MA from Peking University (2000). Education: PhD, Princeton University, 2007 MA, Peking University, 2000 Research Interests: Chinese art and archaeology Comparative studies of cultural contact and early civilizations Writing systems in early states Human sacrifice and kingship in ancient Egypt/China Calligraphy in cross-cultural perspectives Recent Publications: Writing and the Ancient State: Early China in Comparative Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2014) "Zhongguo mache de qiyuan" (Ou Ya xue kan, 2002)

• Archaeology
• Art History
• Chinese
• +1 more