Qin Cao
qin.cao@durham.ac.uk
Dr Qin Cao is the Curator (China) at the Oriental Museum, Durham University and was recently a Senior Curator at National Museums Scotland. She has 15 years’ research and professional experience with Chinese archaeology, museum collections and cultural heritage, including at the Bangkok office of UNESCO, the British Museum, Jinsha Site Museum (Chengdu, China), the Ashmolean Museum, and Manchester Museum.
Qin’s specialism is the archaeology of early China, and she completed her DPhil on Shang weapons at the University of Oxford and the British Museum (AHRC CDA scheme). She has a particular interest in museum collecting practices and presentations of Chinese material culture. She is inspired to deepen and challenge contemporary understandings of China through museum objects, and this is reflected in her curatorial practice. At National Museums Scotland, she was lead curator for the permanent ‘Exploring East Asia’ gallery’s China displays, and curated a 'Chinese Oracle Bones' exhibition. At the Oriental Museum, Qin is leading the re-display of the MacDonald China gallery. She is primary supervisor for an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award project with the University of Glasgow titled ‘Shaping Taste, Building Knowledge: Collecting China in Scotland in the early 20th Century’.
Dr Qin Cao is the Curator (China) at the Oriental Museum, Durham University and was recently a Senior Curator at National Museums Scotland. She has 15 years’ research and professional experience with Chinese archaeology, museum collections and cultural heritage, including at the Bangkok office of UNESCO, the British Museum, Jinsha Site Museum (Chengdu, China), the Ashmolean Museum, and Manchester Museum.
Qin’s specialism is the archaeology of early China, and she completed her DPhil on Shang weapons at the University of Oxford and the British Museum (AHRC CDA scheme). She has a particular interest in museum collecting practices and presentations of Chinese material culture. She is inspired to deepen and challenge contemporary understandings of China through museum objects, and this is reflected in her curatorial practice. At National Museums Scotland, she was lead curator for the permanent ‘Exploring East Asia’ gallery’s China displays, and curated a 'Chinese Oracle Bones' exhibition. At the Oriental Museum, Qin is leading the re-display of the MacDonald China gallery. She is primary supervisor for an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award project with the University of Glasgow titled ‘Shaping Taste, Building Knowledge: Collecting China in Scotland in the early 20th Century’.
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Papers by Qin Cao
1985, the enterprise of world heritage in China have been through a period of rise and fall, and then have developed more steadily. This article began with a typological analysis of China's existing 32 World Heritage Sites and discussed the imbalance of site types as well as the importance of long term protection of all heritage.
Books by Qin Cao
This books presents new insights into these weapons, moving beyond perceptions of them being primarily symbols of power and
rank. Through the lens of weapons, it argues for the significance of martial prowess and leadership within late Shang society. This book synthesizes archaeological data, scientific analyses, and inscriptions on oracle bones and bronzes, uncovering a more nuanced understanding of the complex roles weapons played in society. What traces of evidence can be detected on weapons that demonstrate their ability to cause bodily harm? Why were
tens of thousands of weapons placed in tombs? What led to certain individuals, including high- ranking royal females, being buried with weapons?
alterations of the weapons. It has also challenged traditional typological classification of Shang weapons and argued for a holistic approach to weapon studies in Chinese archaeology.
Talks by Qin Cao
1985, the enterprise of world heritage in China have been through a period of rise and fall, and then have developed more steadily. This article began with a typological analysis of China's existing 32 World Heritage Sites and discussed the imbalance of site types as well as the importance of long term protection of all heritage.
This books presents new insights into these weapons, moving beyond perceptions of them being primarily symbols of power and
rank. Through the lens of weapons, it argues for the significance of martial prowess and leadership within late Shang society. This book synthesizes archaeological data, scientific analyses, and inscriptions on oracle bones and bronzes, uncovering a more nuanced understanding of the complex roles weapons played in society. What traces of evidence can be detected on weapons that demonstrate their ability to cause bodily harm? Why were
tens of thousands of weapons placed in tombs? What led to certain individuals, including high- ranking royal females, being buried with weapons?
alterations of the weapons. It has also challenged traditional typological classification of Shang weapons and argued for a holistic approach to weapon studies in Chinese archaeology.