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Department of Archaeology

 

Biography

 

Dr Guohua YANG is from central China, close to the Yellow River. He took an MA in Public Archaeology at UCL Institute of Archaeology and in the history of art and archaeology at SOAS, University of London (2003-04). He was employed as Deputy Director, Expert Committee of China Cultural Heritage Foundation, in the Ministry of Culture, P.R. China (2008-10).  In addition, he worked as a Heritage Expert (National Programme Assistant for Culture) at UNESCO Office Beijing (2008-09) focussed on the production of an international textbook: Paper Conservation Guidelines: The Methodology of Paper Conservation and Paper Making Traditions in East Asia. He also worked as an Assistant Researcher on the project “Chinese Sites for UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List: Presentation and Management” for SOAS, University of London, UK, in collaboration with Bologna University, Italy (2009-10). He is the author of World Heritage in China (English and Chinese), Beijing: Central Party Literature Press, 2008. He came to University of Cambridge in 2009 to start a PhD in Archaeology on World Heritage Studies, under the supervision of Professor Marie Louise Stig Sørensen (Supervisor) and Professor Martin Jones (Advisor). Dr Yang is currently Senior Research Associate, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (and a Post-Doctoral Member of the Cambridge Heritage Research Centre), and Co-Principal Investigator of the Project “The Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” (2018-24), at the Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge. 

Research

 

Dr Yang's interest is ancient cultures and ancient civilizations of China. Previous projects have investigated the use of the concept of patriotism in the state promotion of heritage in China, the ideological significance of World Heritage designation, and development of the Chinese script.

In his current position as Senior Research Associate and Co-Principal Investigator on the project ‘Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact’; he focus on the roles of substantial historiographic research and museum studies and investigate constructions in the dissemination of a notion of the Yanshao Culture as regional and national heritage. This research will investigate what effects emerging practices of Heritage Studies and museums building programs have on the state’s ideological use of the Yangshao Culture, and whether the notions of authenticity, difference and uniqueness on which local museums are based will undermine the ‘official narrative’ which uses Yangshao Culture objects to legitimise the current ethnic configuration of China.

 

Key Publications

Key publications: 

 

Yang, G. & M.L.S. Sørensen 2024. A journey back in time: The Character of the Yangshao Culture through Objects and Sites (English and Chinese). (forthcoming book)

Sørensen, M.L.S. & G. Yang 2023. “‘Discipline Formation’: the Yangshao Culture and the European Influences in the Development of a Modern Chinese Archaeology”, European Review, Cambridge University Press. (accepted and forthcoming paper)

Sørensen, M.L.S. & G. Yang 2023. “Under the Surface: Development of an explorative archaeology in China”, Archaeology, History, Philosophy and Heritage: Essays in Honour of Tim Murray, Springer. (accepted and forthcoming paper)

Sørensen, M.L.S. & G. Yang 2022. Clever Hands: How to look at the Yangshao Culture Painted Pottery (English and Chinese), Shaanxi Normal University General Publishing House. 

Sørensen, M.L.S. and G. Yang. “The 100 Years Anniversary of the Discovery of the Yangshao Culture: the nature of a celebration”, CHRC Bulletin, October 2021: 12: 2-3.

Yang, G.; Sørensen, M.L.S. and B. Davenport. News on the research project “Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact”, CHRC Bulletin, on 15 January 2019: 1-2.    

Yang, G. & S. Tan 2013. Mysterious, Holy, Imperial: Splendours of Jade in the Yuzu Museum of Art in China (English and Chinese). Beijing: China Social Sciences Press.

Yang, G. 2008. World Heritage in China (English and Chinese). Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chubanshe (Central Party Literature Press).

Yang, G. 2007. (ed.) The Handbook of Marks on Chinese Ceramics (for Gerald’s new edition), UK.

Yang, G. 2005. (ed.) Ancient Chinese Bronze Vessels Overseas (for T. Wang’s project), History of Art and Archaeology Department, SOAS and UCL Institute of Archaeology, University of London, UK.

Yang, G. 2001. (ed.) The Collected Works of Sanmenxia Archaeology, for Xu, H. & H. Yang. Singapore Trend (F.E.) Publishing Centre and Beijing: National Archives Press.

Yang, G. 2000. (ed.) The Discoveries and Researches of Guo State Tombs Sites, for Wang, B. Singapore Trend (F.E.) Publishing Centre and Beijing: China Social Science Academy Press.

Yang, G. 1996. Shijimo de muyangren (The End of the Century Shepherd). Beijing: International Culture Press (a book of Chinese poetry).

 

Other publications: 

Publications (including paper presentation): 

Yang, G. 2024. A History of Archaeological Museums in China focused on the Yangshao Culture (in English and Chinese). (forthcoming book)

Yang, G. & M.L.S. Sørensen 2024. A Historiography of Chinese Archaeology through the Lens of the Yangshao Culture (in English and Chinese). (forthcoming book)

Yang, G. & M.L.S. Sørensen 2024. A Journey Back in Time: The Character of the Yangshao Culture through Sites and Objects (in English and Chinese). (forthcoming book)

Yang, G. Submitted (confirmed) 2023. “A History of Chinese Archaeological Museums in Three Case Studies”, Handbook on the History and Practice of Chinese Archaeology, Oxford University Press. (Oxford Conference on the 23rd August 2022).

Sørensen, M.L.S., Guohua Yang, Junting Lyu, Miao Yang, Shiting Lin, and Lila Janik 2023. “The museological celebration of archaeology and archaeologists: Reflections from a recent field trip to China”. CHRC Bulletin. November 7th: 1-6.

Yang, G. 2023. organized and hosted a course on “Multiple and Interdisciplinary Studies” at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 4th-5th November.

Yang, G. 2023. gave a Presentation on the Cambridge University project “Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” at the Inner Mongolia Hetao Cultural Museum, Inner Mongolia on 21st October.

Yang, G. 2023. gave a Presentation on “Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” at the Management College, Xi’an Jiaotong University on 18th October.

Yang, G. 2023. gave a Presentation on “Cambridge University Yangshao Project Aims and Motivation” on a Salon of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Inheritance organized by the NPU Institute of Culture and Heritage, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xixian New District Academy together with Cambridge University Yangshao Project Team in Xi’an on the 28th September.

Yang, G. 2023. gave a Presentation on “Cambridge University Project Aims and Motivation_The Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” at the History College, Zhengzhou University organized together with Henan Provincial Institute of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage on 21st September.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘Archaeology of Ancient China in Context I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 1st July.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘Heritage Studies and World Heritage in China I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 8th July.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘A History of Chinese Archaeology I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 15th July.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘A History of Chinese Museum I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 22nd July.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘Neolithic Age: Jiahu Culture I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 29th July.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘Neolithic Age: Yangshao Culture I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 5th August.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘Bronze Age: Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 12th August.

Yang, G. 2023. delivered a lecture series entitled ‘Research Methodology I and II’ as part of the course “Archaeology and Heritage of Ancient China 2023”, organized by the Cambridge Centre for International Research, on 19th August.

Yang, G. gave a paper Presentation of "The development and evolution of architecture during Yangshao Culture Period in the Yellow River Basin" at the Peking University - University of Cambridge Seminar on Human-Land Relations of Early River Valley Civilisations (online), 29th November 2022.

Yang, G. participated in the First Yangshao Forum, organized and hosted by Society for Chinese Archaeology, IA of CASS, Henan Academy of Social Sciences, Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, and Sanmenxia Municipal People’s Government held in Sanmenxia City, 27th November 2022.

Yang, G. participated in the 7th Cultural Heritage Interdisciplinary Advanced Forum and Cultural Relics Conservation Technological Equipment Exhibition, and the 10th NPU Institute of Culture and Heritage Aoxiang Forum for Distinguished Young Scholars at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, 12th November 2022.

Yang, G. gave a paper Presentation of "From Museum to National Archaeological Park: A history of Chinese Museums focused on the exhibition of the Yangshao Culture" at Oxford University Conference on the History and Practice of Archaeology in Chinese Cultural Sphere, 23rd August 2022.  

Yang, G. gave a paper Presentation of “Yangshao Culture and Yellow River Civilisation” at Luoyang Forum in Luoyang City, 24th October 2021.

Yang, G. gave a paper Presentation of “Yangshao Culture and World Heritage” to the First International Forum of the Yangshao Culture in Mianchi, 20th October 2021.

Yang, G. gave a paper Presentation of “The Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” at the Architecture College, Taiyuan University of Technology, 14th August 2021.

Sørensen, M.L.S. and G. Yang. 2021 “Chinese archaeologists launch the fourth excavation at the Yangshao village site in the 99th year since Anderson’s first excavation in 1921”. (Project Updates | Cambridge Heritage Research Centre https://www.heritage.arch.cam.ac.uk/research-projects/yangshao/project-updates)

Sørensen, M.L.S. and G. Yang. “Heritage and politics: Chinese President Xi Jinping stresses ‘better understanding of Chinese civilization through archaeology’”, CHRC Bulletin, Nov. 2020: 22-3.

Yang, G. “The Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” was presented to the Education Section in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in London on 10 April 2019.

Yang, G. and B. Davenport. Project poster presentation “The Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact” produced for the CHRC Heritage fair at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research in Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge in October 2018.

 

Other Professional Activities

 

Dr Yang is a Member (Professional) of World Archaeology Congress, a Peer Reviewer on Asia Heritage for  Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group), a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and a Fellow of the Cambridge University Philosophical Society. He is a Visiting Professor at the Taiyuan University of Technology and Honorary Professor at the Architecture College of Taiyuan University of Technology. Currently, he is also a Member of the Editorial Board of The International Journal of Chinese Character Studies. He has been a Council Member of the International Artists’ Association since 1999.

 

Job Titles

Senior Research Associate, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research
Co-Principal Investigator, Yangshao Culture: 100 Year Research History and Heritage Impact

General Info

Not available for consultancy
Research Expertise / Fields of study: 
Museum Studies
Material Culture
Socio-Politics of the Past
Art and Iconography
Archaeological Theory
Heritage Management
Epigraphy & Paleography
Environmental Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, and Landscape studies
Cultural Heritage

Contact Details

gy216[at]cam.ac.uk
McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research
Department of Archaeology
Downing Street
Cambridge
CB2 3ER

Affiliations

Person keywords: 
East Asia, Neolithic, Museum Studies, Heritage Studies and Archaeology
Subjects: 
Archaeology
Heritage Studies
Themes: 
Environment, Landscapes and Settlement
Material Culture
Heritage
Geographical areas: 
Central Asia
East Asia
Periods of interest: 
Copper/Bronze Age
Neolithic
Other Historical
Other Prehistory
Palaeolithic/Mesolithic