Lecture on China-TRACER International Project Successfully Held at HPICHA

    On March 24th, Dr. Guohua Yang, Senior Researcher at the School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, delivered a lecture entitled China-TRACER: Technological Origins and Cultural Exchanges in Early Northern China at the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology (HPICHA). The lecture offered an outstanding academic sharing for more than 40 peers from HPICHA, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty City Site Museum, and other universities and cultural institutions.

    Dr. Guohua Yang is currently a Senior Researcher at the School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Lead Researcher of the China-TRACER Project, and doctoral supervisor. He earned his master’s degree from University College London (UCL) and his PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) of Great Britain and Ireland. He previously served as Senior Researcher and Project Lead Researcher at the University of Cambridge, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Yangshao. His research covers archaeology, cultural heritage, museology, and the history of collections, focusing on jade and pottery technologies of the Chinese Neolithic period (especially Yangshao Culture) and prehistoric social organization.

    During the lecture, Dr. Yang shared the latest research findings on Yangshao Culture and introduced the major international research project China-TRACER, led by the University of Oxford. Scheduled from 2026 to 2030, the project adopts an innovative interdisciplinary perspective to systematically investigate prehistoric societies in northern China centered on Yangshao, Majiayao, Hongshan, and Longshan cultures.

    The lecture was met with enthusiastic participation. In the Q&A session, attendees had in-depth discussions with Dr. Yang on the application of technological research methods, dialogue between Chinese and foreign archaeological theories, and the potential of Yangshao Culture for future World Heritage nomination. 

    With rich content and a novel perspective, the lecture not only showcased the latest developments of the University of Oxford in the study of early Chinese Civilization but also provided a valuable opportunity for exchange and learning for archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals.