Toward More Inclusive Fieldwork: Labor, Knowledge, and Structural Constraints in Chinese Archaeology

Abstract

Archaeological fieldwork in China commonly relies on short-term labor recruited from nearby villages, forming a long-standing mode of collaboration between state-employed staff and local workers. Drawing on sustained field engagement and interviews at the Chengcun City Site of the Han Dynasty, this research examines how locally recruited workers enter, sustain, and experience participation in archaeological practice. Community members often begin archaeological work during agricultural off-seasons and may accumulate decades of experience. Their trajectories vary: some obtain institutional posts, others return to farming, and many continue in project-based employment. These trajectories indicate that funding structures shape employment continuity and welfare access, while skills developed through long-term practice do not always translate into formal professional status. Archaeological labor constitutes a key mechanism in producing excavation knowledge, shaping professional roles, and structuring heritage governance in everyday practice. Viewed through labor trajectories, archaeological professionalization appears uneven, shaped by institutional arrangements, rural livelihood strategies, and localized opportunities. Based on the Chengcun case, this research points to broader dynamics: large-scale projects rely on localized labor regimes while maintaining differentiated forms of recognition and authority. Reconsidering archaeology through labor offers a perspective on knowledge production, participation, and governance.