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Fellowship Project
Mr. LIU Qi will spend 4 months (January – May 2025) at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the U.S.A. to conduct both archival research and scientific analysis on the John Hadley Cox archaeological collection, especially artifacts and specimens from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty. His research will employ scientific instruments such as XRF (X-ray fluorescence), SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) for the analysis. Mr. Liu will also conduct comparative analyses with similar artifacts excavated from Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi in Southern China, as well as Thailand, aiming to explore the material and cultural exchanges along the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
Biography
Mr. LIU Qi graduated from China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), with majors in Stratigraphy and Paleontology. He currently works at The Research and Exhibition Center of Mawangdui Han Tombs, Hunan Museum, as well as the Hunan Key Laboratory of Archaeometry and Conservation Science where he serves as the Academic Secretary. His work focuses on scientific archaeological analysis and the study and curation of material culture of the Han Dynasty. His primary research interests include ancient gemstones, glass ornaments, ancient pigments and dyes, the deterioration processes and products of cultural relics, and the cultural and commercial exchanges along the Maritime Silk Road during the Han Dynasty.
Recent Development and Achievement
In July 2021, Mr. Liu, as an Assistant Curator, participated in the exhibition of “Our Asia—Ancient Civilizations of Asia” organized by Hunan Museum. In September 2022, he was also an Assistant Curator of the “Sand and Fire—Silk Road Glass Culture Exhibition” hosted by the Changsha Museum.
Since 2022, Mr. Liu has contributed as a member to the project funded by the Hunan Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Foundation titled “Sorting and Research on Textiles from the Mawangdui Han Tombs.” Other major projects he has participated in, which are still ongoing, include the “Archaeological Research on Han Dynasty Maritime Silk Road Sites and Related Historical Documents” funded by the National Social Science Fund, China, as well as the “Herbal Archaeological Research on the Origins of Authentic Medicinal Materials” funded by the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, China.
Since 2023, Mr. Liu has participated in the major project “Comprehensive Collection of Chinese Silk Art” under the Zhejiang Culture Research Programme. He also contributed to several publications, namely the volume of “Comprehensive Collection of Chinese Silk Art: Volumes of Hunan Museum (Mawangdui Han Tombs)”, as well as the writing and compilation of the catalogue for “Library of Changsha Mawangdui Han Tombs” by the Yuelu Academy in Hunan.
Selected Publication(s)
