FIRST CIRCULAR
THE 6^TH SHANGHAI ARCHAEOLOGY FORUM

15-18 December 2025
Shanghai, China

TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY, AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Established in 2013, the Shanghai Archaeology Forum (SAF) is a global initiative that promotes the investigation, protection, and utilization of the world’s archaeological resources and heritage. It serves as an international platform to illuminate the significance and relevance of archaeological research to the world today. The forum is fully committed to excellence through innovation and cooperation and to the sustainable development of human society.

The 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum will beheld from the 15th through the 18th of December 2025 in Shanghai, China. It is organized by the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Center for Archaeology, Shanghai University, and Shanghai Academy, under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Administration of Cultural Heritage, and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government.

THEME

The past two years (2024–2025) have witnessed another historical leap in information processing technologies during the digital era. Artificial intelligence systems anchored in big data models—from ChatGPT to DeepSeek—have demonstrated explosive breakthroughs, starkly illuminating the chasm between future technological trajectories and historical precedents. For archaeologists, the accretion of historical data remains the bedrock for identifying patterns of human societal evolution embedded within material records. The transformative advancements in multimodal large language models (LLMs) are fundamentally recalibrating traditional epistemological frameworks in archaeology, compelling scholars to re-examine the discipline’s ontological foundations and methodological apparatus.

As a core element of human civilization, technology has perpetually engaged in intricate and profound interplay with social development. From Oldowan lithic technologies to quantum computing in the Information Age, technological systems have consistently served as catalysts for sociocultural transformation. By reconstructing chaînes opératoires from material remains, archaeological research elucidates not only the intrinsic logic of ancient technological evolution but also provides a unique lens through which to comprehend the historical symbiosis between technology and society. Contemporary technological revolutions are driving methodological innovations in archaeology, enabling refined investigations into ancient technological systems. Such trans-temporal dialogues offer critical insights into the sustainable development of human civilization.

The reconstruction and analysis of ancient technologies remain perennial concerns in archaeological inquiry. Confronted with material evidence of past societies, archaeologists must first interrogate the technical know-how of artifacts. During early human evolution, technological progress was inextricably linked to shifts in toolmaking and energy utilization strategies tied to subsistence economies. Revolutionary changes in subsistence practices typically heralded the advent of the Neolithic. As a total social fact, technology serves as a microcosm of social relations, deeply embedded within its sociocultural milieu and exerting bidirectional influences—both generative and destabilizing. Consequently, technological transformations invariably precipitate synchronous social changes, ultimately catalyzing the “Urban Revolution” and the emergence of proto- civilizations and early states. Post-Industrial Revolution technological developments have exhibited exponential acceleration, marked by qualitative leaps in energy harnessing technologies that birthed novel production relations and increasingly complex sociopolitical structures.

The integration of multidisciplinary approaches has become a hallmark of contemporary archaeology. The rise of archaeological science represents a paradigmatic breakthrough in methodology. Chemical analyses of artifacts and human remains have unveiled intricate networks of human-object interactions that once spanned ancient societies. Advancements in analytical scales—from macro to micro—allow archaeologists to transcend superficial material observations and probe the economic mechanisms underpinning ancient social operations. Digital technologies facilitate virtual reconstructions of ancient ruins, democratizing archaeological knowledge dissemination. Meanwhile, big data integration across global archaeological databases empowers scholars to transcend the deluge of historical records, enabling more comprehensive and reliable cross-cultural macro-analyses.

In the ceaseless dialogue between technology and society, archaeology persists as an indispensable interlocutor. Contemporary research has revealed the nonlinear trajectories of technological development, dismantling the binary opposition between technological determinism and social constructivism. Breakthroughs in AI-driven decipherment of extinct scripts herald archaeology’s entry into an era of human-machine collaboration. This temporal dialogue not only deepens our understanding of civilizational trajectories but also furnishes historical analogues for navigating modern techno-ethical quandaries. In an age of accelerating technological iteration, archaeology—with its unparalleled temporal depth—reminds us that innovation must emerge as an organic extension of cultural continuities rather than a schismatic act of self-alienation.

THE FORUM’S OBJECTIVES

The 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum has three primary objectives: (1) to celebrate the excellence of archaeological research by presenting the SAF Awards to those individuals and organizations that have achieved distinction by making major discoveries and producing innovative, creative, and rigorous works in the recent two years (2024-2025); (2) to promote archaeological studies of technology and social development; and (3) to encourage active engagement with scholars across different continents and disciplines as well as the public in addressing the challenges of technological breakthroughs for our shared future.

We kindly invite scholars worldwide from archaeology and other relevant disciplines to participate in the 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum for an engaged discussion regarding challenges in the archaeological study of technology and social development from transdisciplinary and long-term perspectives. The discussion emphasizes but is not limited to, the following issues: methods and theories in the archaeological study of technology and social development, ancient craftsmanship, chaînes opératoires of artifact manufacture, technological transmission across time and space, learning process and apprenticeship, technological innovation and human adaptation, technological choice and cultural identity, craft specialization and standardization, interdisciplinary approaches into technology, integration of cutting-edge digital technologies in archaeology, cognitive archaeology, experimental archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, application of virtual reality (VR) in cultural heritage conservation and reconstruction, etc.

FORUM PROGRAM

14 December

Delegates arrive and register

15-16 December

Presentation of SAF Awards
World Archaeology Keynote Lecture Series
Public Archaeology Keynote Lecture Series

17 December

Field Trip (visiting ongoing excavations/museums)

18 December

Special Sessions:
Archaeology of Technology and Social Development Major Recent Archaeological Discoveries in China

19 December

Departure

SAF Awards Nomination Guidelines and Instructions

Founded in 2013, Shanghai Archaeology Forum (SAF) is a global initiative that promotes the investigation, protection, and utilization of the world’s archaeological resources and heritage. It is an international platform for illuminating archaeological research and its
significance and relevance to today’s world. The forum is fully committed to excellence through innovation and cooperation and to the sustainable development of human society.

The 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum will be held in Shanghai, China, from the 15th to the 18th of December 2025. The SAF seeks nominations for outstanding achievements worldwide in archaeological investigation and research. The SAF Awards recognize
individuals and organizations that have achieved distinction through innovative, creative, and rigorous works relating to our human past and have generated new knowledge relevant to the contemporary world and our common future. It aims to promote excellence and innovation in archaeological research, advance public awareness, and appreciation of archaeology, foster the protection and conservation of the world’s archaeological resources and heritage, and encourage international collaboration and partnerships between scholars and others from different countries.

All corresponding members of the SAF Advisory Committee are kindly invited to nominate archaeological research conducted or published between 2024 and 2025 for consideration in the 6th SAF. The nominated works must be original and directly derived from legal and scientific archaeological excavations, surveys, or other kinds of rigorous research. The Selection Committee will review and adjudicate the nominations according to the highest international standards of excellence and impartiality. The principal investigators of the selected nominations will be honored and invited to present their research at the 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum.

SAF reserves the right not to present awards if nominations are too few in number or judged to have provided insufficient evidence of high quality and originality. SAF may use summaries of the selected research for information and promotion in the SAF-organized events and activities, giving full credit to the individuals and organizations involved.

SAF AWARDS

The SAF Awards consist of two categories: major archaeological field discoveries (Field Discovery Award) and major research findings (Research Award), which may be based on, although not primarily comprising, fieldwork; at most, ten awards are made for each
category.

(1) SAF Field Discovery Awards (Major Archaeological Field-Discoveries)

The SAF Field Discovery Awards are presented for archaeological excavations or surveys that have yielded major discoveries significantly furthering or altering our knowledge of the human past, locally and globally. To be eligible for this award, the nominated work must have been conducted and/or completed between 2024 and 2025, and it must be a scientific archaeological excavation or survey legally authorized in the country where it was undertaken. The principal investigator responsible for the nominated work must hold an internationally recognized qualification for archaeological excavation or survey in the country where the nominated work was carried out.

Nominations for this category of awards will be adjudicated based on the quality and originality of archaeological fieldwork, the intellectual significance and the potential impact of the discoveries, and the professional ability of the principal investigator and the
colleagues responsible for the nominated work.

(2) SAF Research Award (Major Research Findings)

The SAF Research Awards are presented for archaeological research based on rigorous studies on specific subjects and/or laboratory and scientific analyses. They may be comprehensive and multi-year research projects, theories, methods, technique breakthroughs, or groundbreaking synthesis works based on updated archaeological findings. To be eligible for this category of award, the nominated work must have been published between 2024 and 2025, the actual research being conducted and completed less than ten calendar years before publication. The principal investigator responsible for the nominated work hold internationally accepted ethics of modern archaeological practice and a relevant qualification, and any fieldwork on which the research is based must have been legally authorized in the country where it was undertaken.

Nominations for the SAF Research Awards will be judged based on the quality and originality of the research, innovativeness and effectiveness of methodology, timeliness, creativity, the lasting significance of the research, accuracy of the information, general contribution to the field of archaeology, locally and/or globally, as well as its significance and relevance to the contemporary world.

NOMINATION TIMELINE

10 June 2025 – Deadline to submit nominations

Immediately after receiving a nomination, the Office of Shanghai Archaeology Forum will contact the principal investigator of the nominated work to see if they are willing to have their research considered for the SAF Awards.

August 2025

Nominations are reviewed and adjudicated by the Selection Committee consisting of experts representing different regions worldwide.

October 2025

The principal investigators of the archaeological works selected for the 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum are notified of the results of the SAF Awards.

December 2025

The principal investigators of the archaeological works selected for the 6th Shanghai Archaeology Forum are honored in the meeting that will be held in Shanghai, China, from the 15th to the 18th of December, 2025.

How Many Nominations Can I Submit?

You may submit up to three nominations for each category, but please use a separate form for each submission.

What Can I Nominate for the SAF Awards?

There is no constraint on what you can or cannot nominate regarding the research subject and geographic region of interest. However, you are strongly encouraged to nominate archaeological works and findings in the field of your specialization and /or the geographic area you are most familiar with.

Must the Work I Nominate Be Related to the Primary Theme of 2025 SAF?

No. You can nominate a work that may or may not be related to this year’s theme “Technology, Society, and Archaeology.”

How Do I Submit Nomination?

You may click the following links to submit your nomination:
Fill out the Nomination Form for the 2025 SAF Awards online(https://wj.qq.com/s2/21823745/1s7m/ ). After filling out all required fields (marked with *), click [submit].

What Language Should I Use?

English and Chinese are the officiallanguages of the SAF. You are strongly encouraged to use English to submit your nomination.

CONTACT
Office of the Shanghai Archaeology Forum Institute of Archaeology
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
1 North Road of National Stadium, Chaoyang District Beijing 100101, P. R. China
Email: office@shanghai-archaeology-forum.org
Website:shanghai-archaeology-forum.org

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