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Special feature

Insider or Outsider? The Intertwined Position of the “Archaeological Temporary Worker” in China: A Case Study at the Shaanxi Zhouyuan Site

Siyu Wang, Xichen Zhu, Ziyi Li and Yimin Fang
p. 19-29

Abstract

The memory and knowledge production processes of local communities near archaeological sites can be heavily influenced by official heritage management systems. One of the most representative is the so-called archaeological temporary worker system in China. On the one hand, this system incorporates local communities as insiders in archaeological projects, enhancing their connection with the site. On the other hand, the limited scope for local input into official interpretation or protection decisions ensures that these temporary workers remain outsiders. Using the Zhouyuan site as a case study, this article examines how different actors interact within this system and the various connections shaped by it. The internal logic of Chinese rural society must be considered to understand why this system has been able to persist for many years.

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Editor’s notes

Manuscript received on 5 March 2025. Accepted on 11 March 2026.

Excerpt

Full text document will be published online on March 2027.

Outline

Methodology and research questions
Archaeological site management in China: An overview
The archaeological temporary worker system in Zhouyuan
Connections to heritage
Continuing as temporary workers
Brief pictures in China
The current situation in Zhouyuan
Conclusion

First lines

Since 1949, following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the authorities have designated specific areas or objects as “heritage” or “cultural relics” (from the 1950s onward), with the goal of building a collective identity, and establishing a unified public discourse about history. This phenomenon is global and has been widely discussed by pioneering Western scholars (e.g., Nora 1984; Lowenthal 1985; Macdonald 2013). However, as Zhu (2024a) suggests, Western heritage concepts and theories should not be applied directly to the Chinese context without taking into account China’s unique historical and cultural circumstances. In this study, we acknowledge these contextual differences while focusing on the underlying mechanisms of heritage practices, rather than treating China as an exceptional case. When heritage scholars began to pay more attention to related communities, they often adopted a dualistic framework that separated official from non-official actors, without det...

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References

Bibliographical reference

Siyu Wang, Xichen Zhu, Ziyi Li and Yimin Fang, Insider or Outsider? The Intertwined Position of the “Archaeological Temporary Worker” in China: A Case Study at the Shaanxi Zhouyuan SiteChina Perspectives, 144 | 2026, 19-29.

Electronic reference

Siyu Wang, Xichen Zhu, Ziyi Li and Yimin Fang, Insider or Outsider? The Intertwined Position of the “Archaeological Temporary Worker” in China: A Case Study at the Shaanxi Zhouyuan SiteChina Perspectives [Online], 144 | 2026, Online since 01 March 2027, connection on 17 May 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/20380; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/15zum

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About the authors

Siyu Wang

Siyu Wang is Assistant Professor in the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, specialising in critical heritage studies and new museology, Beijing, China (2006191079@pku.edu.cn).

Xichen Zhu

Xichen Zhu is a master’s student at the Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Germany (zhuxichen.2002@gmail.com).

Ziyi Li

Ziyi Li is a master’s student in the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, China (2501211005@stu.pku.edu.cn).

Yimin Fang

Yimin Fang is a master’s student in the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing, China (faaangym@gmail.com).

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Copyright

CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

The text only may be used under licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. All other elements (illustrations, imported files) may be subject to specific use terms.

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