The Han-Tang Archaeology Division is one of the three traditional research divisions of the Institute of Archaeology. Its predecessor, the Han–Tang Research Group, was established in 1953 under the leadership of Su Bingqi. In 1978, it was formally reorganised as the Third Research Division, with Su Bingqi serving as its first director. It was renamed the Han–Tang Archaeology Division in 1998. Archaeology of Han and Tang Capitals in China, which is based in this division, was designated as a Key Discipline of the academy in 2003. Additionally, Han–Tang Archaeology was incorporated as a Priority Discipline into the academy’s Pinnacle Strategy programme for disciplinary development in 2023.

The division, which currently has 14 permanent archaeological fieldwork teams, focuses on major research topics related to the ancient Chinese capital system and the formation and development of a unified multi-ethnic state, with archaeological excavations centred on capital and regional city sites from the Qin–Han through the Ming–Qing periods. The division also conducts archaeological surveys, excavations and research on tombs and remains associated with religion, handicraft production and Sino–foreign cultural exchange.