PROPOSAL TYPE
Individual
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Material Culture
- Museums/Exhibits
- Preservation
When the Qing dynasty collapsed in 1911, China’s rich cultural heritage fell prey to Western museums and art collectors. With the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912, however, U.S. institutions, including the Archaeological Institute of America and the Smithsonian Institution, sponsored a series of expeditions to China to pioneer with the Chinese government and academic community both archaeological research and systematic monument and artifact preservation. This collaborative venture resulted in numerous joint Sino-American excavations and exhibitions, including the landmark excavation of the Shang dynasty capital at Anyang, the establishment of China’s first national museum, and the passage of an Antiquities Protection Law.
Description
I am hoping to present as part of a panel with international (rather than regional or local) scope. The topic segues with the legacy of imperialism, international relations, public policy formation, archaeology and museum studies.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Clayton Brown, Utah State University, [email protected]
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 7, 2023. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
HI Clayton, I like this idea – and I wonder if you’d be interested in a paper about Vietnam’s cultural heritage and the legacies of the French colonialism on museums and heritage.
With the repatriation of artifacts to Sri Lanka and Indonesia, I am most struck by the contradictory nature of archaeology as preservation and archaeology as an extractive practice. The scenario you highlight is a case where the outcomes were mostly positive, but what is the norm? What is the common outcome of these projects and who benefits the most. I mentioned extractive practice to emphasize how connected imperialism and anthropology have been.
Building on Gupta and Bodemer’s suggestions to expand beyond Sino-U.S. relations, I suggest checking out UMass Amherst’s History Department (including the Public History Program) for additional speakers. They host many faculty and students who specialize in the American War in Vietnam.
Here is a link to their 2022-2023 lecture series on U.S. imperialism and anti-imperial resistance: https://blogs.umass.edu/feinberg/
I think this sounds like an interesting topic–I always like getting to a session or two that focusses on international work! I’m hopeful you can find additional presenters. one quick tip for your official proposal is to be sure and make the connection to the call explicit. Anything you can do to spell that out for folks will help