Wang Jin (; 12 December 1926 – 6 February 2020) was a Chinese archaeologist whose research focus was on prehistoric sites in the Jianghan Plain. One of China's first female archaeologists, she was a member of the team that discovered the Neolithic Qujialing culture. She later led the excavation of major sites including the Tonglüshan ancient copper mine and the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...

city of

Panlongcheng Panlongcheng () or Panlong City is an archaeological site associated with the Erligang culture () during the Shang dynasty period (). The site is located just north of the Yangtze river, on the bank of the Panlong lake, and is surrounded by the Fus ...

. She served as leader of the Hubei Provincial Archaeological Team, Vice Director of Hubei Provincial Museum, and President of the Hubei Archaeological Association.

Biography

Wang was born 12 December 1926 in

Huangpi Huangpi District () is one of 13 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China, situated on the northern (left) bank of the Yangtze River. The Sheshui enters the Yangtze at Huangpi. The district is ...

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...

, Republic of China. She graduated from Hubei Second Women's Normal School in 1949. She entered Hubei Provincial Museum in 1954, and received training in the archaeology program jointly conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the history department of

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...

. As one of China's first female archaeologists, she participated in the archaeological excavation in Jingshan that discovered the Neolithic Qujialing culture; she subsequently participated in the excavation of the Shijiahe site in Tianmen, Fangyingtai in

Wuchang Wuchang forms part of the urban core of and is one of 13 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China. It is the oldest of the three cities that merged into modern-day Wuhan, and stood on the ri ...

, and Maojiazui in Qichun. Wang later served as the deputy leader and leader of the Hubei Provincial Archaeological Team. She led the excavation of the Tonglüshan ancient copper mine in

Daye Daye () is a county-level city in eastern Hubei province, China. It is under the administration of the Huangshi prefecture-level city. As it is usually the case with county-level cities, Daye includes both an urban core and a fair amount of rural ...

, the

city of

in Huangpi, the Qilihe site in Fang County, and the Mashan No. 1 Tomb in Jiangling. She also served as Vice Director of Hubei Provincial Museum and President of the Hubei Archaeological Association. She retired in 1990. On 6 February 2020, Wang died of

thoracic The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the crea ...

spinal tuberculosis Pott disease is tuberculosis of the spine, usually due to haematogenous spread from other sites, often the lungs. The lower thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae areas of the spine are most often affected. It causes a kind of tuberculous arthriti ...

in Wuhan, aged 93.

Contributions

Wang's main research focus was prehistoric sites of the Jianghan Plain. Her pioneering work helped establish the framework of Neolithic cultures in the middle-

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

region. She explored the cultural interactions between the Central Plains and the Yangtze region, and deepened our understanding of metallurgical technologies of ancient China. Her main publications include: *''Panlongcheng'' (co-author) *''The Tonglüshan Ancient Mining Site'' (co-author) *''Fangyingtai in Wuchang'' (editor) *''Qilihe in Fang County'' (editor)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Jin 1926 births 2020 deaths Chinese Academy of Social Sciences alumni Chinese women archaeologists Scientists from Hubei People from Wuhan 21st-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in China