Professor Wang Wei visited Japan at the invitation of Meiji University

Between November 2nd to November 7th 2010, at the invitation of the Archaeological Research Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture and Meiji University Institute of Archaeology, Tokyo, Wang Wei, Director of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (IA CASS) traveled to Japan to participate in two international conferences.

On November 3rd the Director Wang Wei participated in the ‘Royal Tombs of East Asia in the Third and Fourth Century’ research seminar in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, at which participants included Chinese, Japanese and Korean scholars. Director Wang Wei presented a speech entitled “Research on Aristocratic Tombs and Associated Matters of Late Eastern Han Dynasty recently Discovered in China” at the request of conference organizers. Japanese scholars introduced recent new discoveries on a series of kofun in Chausuyama, Nara Prefecture. Korean scholars discussed the excavation this year of third and four century high-level tombs in the south of the Korean peninsula.

Thereafter the scholars present held a lively discussion about the date of the Chausuyama kofun, the differences between sacrificial burial and accessory burial, multiple burials, and the apparent relation between the emergence of huge kofun and establishment of kingships in eastern Asia.
The occasion of this conference provided an opportunity for comprehensive discussion of the results of this year’s discoveries of third and fourth century aristocratic tombs in China, Japan and Korea.

The “The Formation and Writing of Ancient East Asian States” Symposium ran November 5th to 6th at Meiji University in central Tokyo. Nearly twenty scholars lectured from China, Japan and Korea. In addition to Professor Wang Wei, researcher Xu Jianxin from CASS World History Department, Professor Qi Dongfang from Peking University Institute of Archaeology and Museology and Professor Xin Deyong from Peking University History Department also presented the lectures.

Director Wang Wei presented a speech entitled “Writing and Civilization”, introducing a more systematic characterization of archaeological discoveries on Chinese prehistoric symbols and early text, and elaborating on the reason, the process of development and change during the emergence of
writing, the relationship between writing and culture and other issues.

The participation of Japanese peers from Meiji University in the conference reflects the university’s keen desire to further strengthen its overall capacity for historical research and to enhance international academic exchange, and to a certain extent reflects present status of Japanese historical and archaeological research.

Translator: Walter Stanish