Museum puts the excitement into excavations

A sweeping timeline is stamped on the ground at the entrance of the Chinese Archaeological Museum, which opened to the public in September. It starts with Lufengpithecus lufengensis, ancient apes dating back about eight million years, through ancient dynasties and up to the new era, and marks significant moments in time and major historical events in China’s history.

It serves as a kind of historical and cultural salon on Beijing’s Central Axis, a new national cultural landmark that displays more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation, said Li Guoqiang, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of History.

It encompasses exhibitions, collections, academic research and education, and has a permanent 75,347-sq-ft exhibition hall.

The exhibition area is divided into five sections based on changes to social formation, and focuses on political, economic, cultural and social life, as well as on exchanges between China and other countries, from the Paleolithic period until today.

Visitors can see important ancient cultural relics, particularly from the early stage of civilisation, including a Neolithic pottery sculpture of a human face that reflects Yangshao culture, and is dated to between 4,700 and 7,000 years ago.

Also on display is a turquoise-inlaid bronze plaque with a beast-mask design that offers a glimpse into Henan province’s Erlitou site, which dates back over 3,500 years.

There is also a turquoise mosaic dragon from Erlitou that is 27.5 inches long and is made of more than 2,000 small pieces of green turquoise of varying shapes.

“The dragon’s body is adorned with copper bells, and contains a jade clapper inside. The body is gracefully curved, and the image is vivid and lifelike,” said Gong Wen, the archaeological museum’s director.

Other highlights include the remains of horses and a chariot from the Yinxu Ruins from the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC), and bronzeware from the same period.

Cross-cultural exchanges along the ancient Silk Road make up another major section of the exhibition.

The new facility is themed on ancient China and the fusion of civilisation, and houses immersive, warehouse-style displays, Gong said.

Visitors are able to get visual, audio and tactile experiences of many of the objects on display.

“In the exhibition halls, the museum also attempts to engage visitors through means such as video presentations, multimedia interactions, scene simulations, OLED transparent displays and visual 3D,” Gong said.

Electronic displays and 3D technology enable visitors to zoom in on small and delicate details and virtually turn artifacts around with their hands.

Cheng Xueyang, a history student from the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, felt lucky to be able to visit the museum on its opening day on 15 September.

Cheng said that she was excited to see some of the objects, which she had only seen in textbooks before. “All the abstract nouns from the books become independent objects here, vividly emerging before your eyes.”

Zhang Jinyang, a sophomore student from Beijing, had his eyes set on seeing the turquoise mosaic dragon from Erlitou during his recent visit.

“I noticed innovative, interactive approaches, such as the way they make the text on the pottery jars appear on the display cabinets, which is very impressive,” Zhang said.

According to Gong, the museum will continue to use advanced technology to build a bridge between archaeology and visitors. A foundation platform for an intelligent guided tour and explanation system will be created this year.

The museum also plans to provide real-time updates on the progress of excavations, enabling visitors to virtually meet archaeologists working on-site via video calls.

At the same time, archaeological experiences will be arranged to allow visitors to participate in activities, such as piecing together pottery shards and making rubbings, to enhance the overall experience.

“Through a variety of methods and channels, we aim to turn archaeological achievements into public knowledge, benefiting the people,” Gong said.