The international symposium on “Interpretation of Human Cultural Heritage -- Share and Spread”, sponsored by Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies and jointly organized by PKU Faculty of Archaeology and Museology, Institute of Archaeology of University of London, and International Centre for Culture and Heritage Studies of Newcastle University, was held in PKU from November 4th to 7th.

The symposium attracted over 50 representatives from more than ten countries including China, the US, Britain, Italy, Canada and Japan. They are renowned archeologists, scholars on management of cultural heritage, relevant government officials, head of major relics programs, and senior people from media. Vice Secretary of PKU Party Committee Mr. Yang He, Dean of Institute of Archaeology of University of London Stephen Shennan, and Professor Zhao Hui, dean of PKU Faculty of Archaeology and Museology delivered their speeches. Head of National Heritage Bureau Mr. Shan Jixiang and Professor Peter Stone from International Centre for Culture and Heritage Studies of Newcastle University made the keynote speeches.

     Discussions centered on the relationship among archeological study, cultural heritage and public participation. The whole session consisted of three major topics, namely, communication between archeology and other disciplines, communication between archeology and the public, as well as the relationship of archeology with protection of cultural heritage. Representatives introduced their communication with archeology from the perspectives of various fields, such as technological archeology, ancient environmentology, museology, education, historical geography and digital technology, etc. They also pointed out the achievements and remaining difficulties during these processes. A series of topics on public archeology are also discussed, for instance, Chinese public archeology, South Africa archeology and public participation, Japan archeology and news reports, instant presentation of achievements in initiative archeological excavation, media’s responsibility in archeological reports, the construction of Chinese archeological websites and middle school education on archeology.

     Apart from the above topics, representatives also engaged in following issues: challenges with the protection of Chinese huge heritages, the concept of “integral protection”, public education on awareness of cultural heritage protection, interest-balancing of social groups during archeological excavation, the relationship between art collection and attacking illegal trade of cultural relics, etc.

       The symposium linked academic research on archeology and cultural heritage protection with the analysis of media and public education, thus enlightened the representatives and provided them the opportunity of communication. It proved to be a good example for solving the problem in sharing and spreading of human cultural heritage and promoting Chinese public archeology.

      Edited by: Cai Ying

      Translated by: Xiang Yunke

      Source: PKU Faculty of Archaeology and Museology