In 2006 Peter Ucko and Wang Tao visited more than ten universities in mainland China, in order to meet staff and students in each Department of Archaeology. We interviewed staff and students to find out about their experiences, expectations and ideas regarding the nature and practice of archaeology. In addition, interviews were held with the several directors of provincial institutes of archaeology.

The interviews consisted of semi-structured questioning, and free discussion was encouraged. One set of questions concerned what is now often referred to in Britain as ‘Public Archaeology’ and included all areas of contact between the public and the presentation of the past, (e.g. archaeological sites, museum displays, particular legislation, both formal and informal education). For most Chinese archaeologists – whether staff or students – the practice of archaeology is seen as an expert activity to be carried out solely by experts. Furthermore, students are considered to be still learning research competence in addition to ‘field’ techniques, which include not only practical techniques such as surveying and field walking, but also typologising (ceramic or lacquer vessels, and metal vessels). The group discussions revealed that Chinese archaeologists, on the whole, are either unaware of this aspect of current western archaeological theory and practice or, at the least, do not appear to recognise such an area of investigation. However, a few aspects of what we had described as ‘Public Archaeology’ were taught within specialist courses, in particular legislation and conservation, and/or museology.

Despite such apparent disinterest from academic archaeology in China, this was not always the case in practice, as exercised by the provincial, non-university institutes. There are a number of cases of what we would qualify as ‘Public Archaeology’ in the context of the management of archaeological sites. In this short presentation I will discuss the barriers which would have to be overcome if ‘Public Archaeology’ is to become acceptable within the current Chinese framework and structure of archaeological inquiry and practice.