Wang Jin (archaeologist) facts for kids

Wang Jin (Chinese: 王劲) was a famous Chinese archaeologist. She was born on December 12, 1926, and passed away on February 6, 2020. Her main work was studying very old sites in the Jianghan Plain area of China.

Wang Jin was one of the first women in China to become an archaeologist. She was part of the team that found the Qujialing culture, which was a group of people from the Stone Age. She also led important digs at places like the Tonglüshan ancient copper mine and the Shang dynasty city of Panlongcheng. She held important jobs, like leading the Hubei Provincial Archaeological Team and being the Vice Director of the Hubei Provincial Museum.

Who Was Wang Jin?

Wang Jin was born in a place called Huangpi, in Hubei province, China. This was in 1926. She finished school in 1949.

In 1954, she started working at the Hubei Provincial Museum. She also got special training in archaeology. This training was given by the Ministry of Culture, the Institute of Archaeology, and Peking University.

What Did Wang Jin Discover?

Wang Jin was a pioneer in archaeology. She helped find many important ancient sites.

Finding the Qujialing Culture

As one of China's first female archaeologists, Wang Jin helped dig in Jingshan. Here, they found the Qujialing culture. This culture lived during the Neolithic period, which was a time when people started farming and making pottery.

She also helped with digs at other sites. These included the Shijiahe site in Tianmen, Fangyingtai in Wuchang, and Maojiazui in Qichun.

Leading Major Excavations

Later, Wang Jin became a leader of the Hubei Provincial Archaeological Team. She led big digs at several places:

• The Tonglüshan ancient copper mine in Daye. This was a very old mine where people got copper.
• The Shang dynasty city of Panlongcheng in Huangpi. The Shang dynasty was an important early kingdom in China.
• The Qilihe site in Fang County.
• The Mashan No. 1 Tomb in Jiangling.

Wang Jin also served as the Vice Director of the Hubei Provincial Museum. She was also the President of the Hubei Archaeological Association. She retired from her work in 1990.

Wang Jin passed away in Wuhan on February 6, 2020. She was 93 years old.

Wang Jin's Important Work

Wang Jin's main focus was on very old sites in the Jianghan Plain. Her work helped us understand the early cultures in the middle Yangtze area. She studied how different cultures in China interacted. She also helped us learn more about how ancient Chinese people used metal.

Some of the books she helped write or edit include:

• Panlongcheng (she was a co-author)
• The Tonglüshan Ancient Mining Site (she was a co-author)
• Fangyingtai in Wuchang (she was an editor)
• Qilihe in Fang County (she was an editor)