Kwang-chih Chang
Encyclopedia
Kwang-chih Chang (1931–2001), aka K.C. Chang, was a Chinese/Taiwanese archaeologist and sinologist. He was a professor of archaeology at Harvard University
, a Vice-President of the Academia Sinica
and a curator at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
. He helped to bring modern, western methods of archaeology to the study of ancient Chinese history. He also introduced new discoveries in Chinese archaeology to western audiences by translating works from Chinese to English. He pioneered the study of Taiwanese archaeology, encouraged multi-disciplinal anthropological archaeological research, and urged archaeologists to conceive of East Asian prehistory (China
, Korea
, and Japan
) as a pluralistic whole.
in 1921 to pursue his education, where he met and married K.C. Chang's mother. His father later became a professor of Japanese literature
and language
at Peking University
. Born in Beijing as the second son in a family of four children, his family returned to Taiwan in 1946.
K.C. Chang enrolled in National Taiwan University
in 1950, where he studied anthropology and archaeology under Li Ji. He chose archaeology because "it is fun". He graduated in 1954 and moved to the United States to pursue his graduate studies at Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D in 1960; his dissertation was entitled "Prehistoric Settlements in China: A Study in Archaeological Method and Theory".
. He then returned to Harvard in 1977 to teach anthropology, and later archaeology. He was the Vice-President of the Academia Sinica from 1994 to 1996. K.C. Chang trained many students over the years, among whom is a group of distinguished archaeologists including Bruce Trigger
, Richard J. Pearson
, Choi Mong-lyong
, and others.
K.C. Chang's main research interests included Chinese prehistory, archaeological theory, settlement archaeology, shamanism, Bronze Age society, and the development of and interaction between regional archaeological cultures in China.
He died in 2001 from complications due to Parkinson's disease
.
/WorldCat
encompasses roughly 100+ works in 200+ publications in 9 languages and 9,000+ library holdings.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, a Vice-President of the Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
and a curator at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
. He helped to bring modern, western methods of archaeology to the study of ancient Chinese history. He also introduced new discoveries in Chinese archaeology to western audiences by translating works from Chinese to English. He pioneered the study of Taiwanese archaeology, encouraged multi-disciplinal anthropological archaeological research, and urged archaeologists to conceive of East Asian prehistory (China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) as a pluralistic whole.
Early life
His paternal grandfather was a farmer in Taiwan. His father moved to BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 1921 to pursue his education, where he met and married K.C. Chang's mother. His father later became a professor of Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
and language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
at Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
. Born in Beijing as the second son in a family of four children, his family returned to Taiwan in 1946.
K.C. Chang enrolled in National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
in 1950, where he studied anthropology and archaeology under Li Ji. He chose archaeology because "it is fun". He graduated in 1954 and moved to the United States to pursue his graduate studies at Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D in 1960; his dissertation was entitled "Prehistoric Settlements in China: A Study in Archaeological Method and Theory".
Career
Chang began his teaching career in the Anthropology Department at Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He then returned to Harvard in 1977 to teach anthropology, and later archaeology. He was the Vice-President of the Academia Sinica from 1994 to 1996. K.C. Chang trained many students over the years, among whom is a group of distinguished archaeologists including Bruce Trigger
Bruce Trigger
Bruce Graham Trigger, was a Canadian archaeologist, anthropologist, and ethnohistorian.Born in Preston, Ontario, he received a doctorate in archaeology from Yale University in 1964. His research interests at that time included the history of archaeological research and the comparative study of...
, Richard J. Pearson
Richard J. Pearson
Richard Joseph Pearson is a Canadian archaeologist.He grew up in Toronto and Oakville, Ontario and graduated with a Bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto in 1960. Richard Pearson studied at the University of Hawaii, and Yale University under K.C. Chang and received his doctorate in...
, Choi Mong-lyong
Choi Mong-lyong
Choi Mong-lyong is an archaeologist and Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Art History at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Choi was born in Jeolla Province and received his PhD degree in Anthropology in 1984 from Harvard University in the United States. At Harvard, Choi...
, and others.
K.C. Chang's main research interests included Chinese prehistory, archaeological theory, settlement archaeology, shamanism, Bronze Age society, and the development of and interaction between regional archaeological cultures in China.
He died in 2001 from complications due to Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about K. C. Chang, OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
/WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
encompasses roughly 100+ works in 200+ publications in 9 languages and 9,000+ library holdings.
- The Archaeology of Ancient China (1963)
- Rethinking Archaeology (1967)
- Settlement Archaeology (1968)
- Fengpitou, Tapenkeng, and the Prehistory of Taiwan (1969)
- Early Chinese Civilization: Anthropological Perspectives (1976)
- Food in Chinese Culture: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives (1977)
- Shang Civilization (1980)
- Art, Myth and Ritual: the Path to Political Authority in Ancient China (1983)
- The Formation of Chinese Civilization : an archaeological perspective (2002)
Honors
- Association for Asian StudiesAssociation for Asian StudiesThe Association for Asian Studies is a U.S. society focused on facilitating contact and information exchange among scholars of Asian fields. It is the self-proclaimed largest society of its kind. The Association consists of eminent Asianists, and is a non-profit organization...
(AAS), 1996 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Asian Studies