Under the guidance of Dr. Kwang-Chi Chang, Ms. Li Liu will combine archaeological research in China with laboratory analysis at Harvard University. The results will form the basis for Ms. Liu's doctoral dissertation. Ms. Liu will collaborate with Chinese archaeologists and participate in the ongoing excavation of the site of Kangjia which is located in North China and dates to the third millennium B.C. This large site - the remains of a village - covers an area of ca. 190,000 square meters. Ms. Liu will first conduct a surface survey and map the distribution of features and other material. She will follow this with excavation in selected areas. Special attention will be focussed on ceramics and she will conduct stylistic and mineralogical analyses. Stone tools will be examined to determine function and faunal remains will be studied. Carbon isotope analysis will be conducted on skeletal remains to provide information on prehistoric diet. The Neolithic period in China provided the base from which Chinese civilization emerged. As such, it is interesting both in its own right and in a comparative context. Working in other parts of the world, archaeologists have attempted to define the stages and processes which led to increasing cultural complexity. Because so little of the archaeological work conducted in China is accessible to non-Chinese, it has not been possible to fit this important part of the world into the broader pattern. Ms. Liu's research will help to remedy this defect. This research is important for several reasons. First, it will provide Western archaeologists with a body of data of great general interest. Secondly, it will help to build ties with Chinese archaeologists and introduce them to a variety of valuable methods and techniques used in the West. Finally, this grant will aid in the training of an extremely promising scientist.
