What discoveries were made during archaeological expeditions in China in the midst of civil war and economic strife? Explore these appendices to learn more about field work and object records identified during C.W. Bishop’s Freer Gallery-sponsored expeditions in northern and central China during the period 1923 to 1934. As you transcribe, you’ll learn about the day-to-day operations and the rich Chinese histories that emerged in the unearthed archaeological record.
What discoveries were made during archaeological expeditions in China in the midst of civil war and economic strife? Explore these appendices to learn more about field work and object records identified during C.W. Bishop’s Freer Gallery-sponsored expeditions in northern and central China during the period 1923 to 1934. As you transcribe, you’ll learn about the day-to-day operations and the rich Chinese histories that emerged in the unearthed archaeological record.
Carl Whiting Bishop (1881-1942) was an archaeologist, anthropologist, and specialist in the field of East Asian studies, who served as Associate Curator and Associate in Archaeology at the Freer Gallery of Art from 1922 to 1942. Born in Tokyo, Bishop spent the first 16 years of his life in Japan, then returned to Japan along with China and Korea as part of archaeological surveys several times from 1914 to 1918. From 1918-1920, Bishop served with the United States Navy in China as lieutenant, junior grade, in China. He then studied with Franz Boas at Columbia University, where he was awarded his M.A. by the Department of Anthropology. Bishop participated in many expeditions as part of his curatorial roles with Peabody Museum, University of Pennsylvania Museum, and the Freer Gallery of Art.
As you transcribe, you’ll learn about negotiations undertaken by Bishop and colleagues with Chinese officials in a time of political instability, the establishment of the Chinese Archaeological Society, and the decision to dig at Pai Ma Ssu: the location of the “White Horse Temple.” This project also records the diplomatic and scientific representatives from the West and China, who aided and contributed to the investigations. There are also descriptions of the academic, social, and political climate in China during a period of civil war and economic strife. Learn more about Bishop, archaeological research, and this collection from the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
