On February 8, 2022, the list of Chinese academic translation projects of the National Social Science Foundation of China for the year 2021 was announced, and the German edition of Chen Xingcan’s Study on History of Prehistoric Archaeology in China jointly submitted by Dr. Ma Yawen of the German Department and the Chinese Social Science Literature Publishing House was awarded the project. This is the second Chinese academic translation project since Dr. He Jun was awarded the German edition of Zong Baihua’s Aesthetic Walk in 2020, and it is also the fifth national academic research project that the German Department has received so far, thus the proportion of German faculty members presiding over national projects exceeds 40%.
In view of the subject and content of the declared book, Study on History of Prehistoric Archaeology, Dr. Ma Yawen actively sought the services of Prof. Enno Giele, who specializes in Chinese archaeology, ancient Chinese culture and writing at the Institute of Chinese Studies in Heidelberg, as the native language co-translator and archaeological advisor for the book, contacted Prof. Mo Guanghua, an experienced Chinese-German translator from the Department of German, as the second translator and reviewer, and Prof. Daniel Jach, a German expert from the Department of German of DAAD, as the native language proofreader. Besides, we were honored to have Prof. Yang Wuneng, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Chinese Translation Culture, as our translation advisor.
In the preparation of this application, Dr. Ma Yawen analyzed the trend of Chinese academic translation projects in recent years and tried to grasp the direction of foreign translation projects, and based on the experience of the Department of German’s 2020 project, she went beyond the traditional framework of language and literature and focused on literature and history research works that can deepen academic exchanges and dialogues between China and foreign countries and enhance the international academic discourse of Chinese academics. In the context of the 100th anniversary of the birth of modern Chinese archaeology in 2021, and taking President Xi Jinping’s request of “making full use of our archaeological research results to show the international community the profound Chinese civilization” as a guideline, she selected the Study on History of Prehistoric Archaeology by Chen Xingcan, director of the Institution of Archaeology CASS. Finally, the project was finally was successfully approved.
The Study on History of Prehistoric Archaeology was published in 1991, and was selected as one of the “Library of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences” in 2007. Taking the origin of Chinese civilization as the main research line and based on rich and detailed historical materials, this book scientifically stages and comprehensively analyzes the history of Chinese archaeology from origin to development from 1895 to 1949, and is a monograph on the history of archaeology, which is of great significance in proving the aboriginality, diversity and continuity of Chinese prehistory, and in understanding the origin of Chinese civilization. It is believed that the translation of such a solid and rigorous research result to the international academic community will help the exchange and comparison of Chinese and foreign civilizations, enhance the influence and discourse of Chinese archaeology in the international archaeological community, and show the world archaeological history research with Chinese characteristics and Chinese style.