Xia Nai
Encyclopedia
Xia Nai was a Chinese archaeologist. He majored in economic history at the elite Tsinghua University
in Beijing (BA, 1934), winning a scholarship to study abroad. He went to University College London
and studied Egyptology earning a doctorate that was finally awarded to him in 1946. In the meantime, he had returned to China joining the staff of the Central Museum and then in 1944 joining the Department of Archaeology of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica (1943-1949), becoming acting director in 1948. When the Institute moved to Taiwan in 1949, Xia stayed behind in China, teaching at Zhejiang University
for a year before joining the Chinese Academy of Sciences, eventually becoming director of its Institute of Archaeology (1962-1982). Before his death, he was First Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Thanks to his contributions to Chinese and world archaeology, he was one of the most honoured Chinese scholars in academe, receiving memberships from the British Academy (1974), the Swedish Royal Academy of Letters, History, and Antiquities (1983), and the U.S. Academy of Sciences (1984), among others.
E. Field and Wang Tao, 'Xia Nai: the London connection', in Orientations, June 1997.
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
in Beijing (BA, 1934), winning a scholarship to study abroad. He went to University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
and studied Egyptology earning a doctorate that was finally awarded to him in 1946. In the meantime, he had returned to China joining the staff of the Central Museum and then in 1944 joining the Department of Archaeology of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica (1943-1949), becoming acting director in 1948. When the Institute moved to Taiwan in 1949, Xia stayed behind in China, teaching at Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
for a year before joining the Chinese Academy of Sciences, eventually becoming director of its Institute of Archaeology (1962-1982). Before his death, he was First Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Thanks to his contributions to Chinese and world archaeology, he was one of the most honoured Chinese scholars in academe, receiving memberships from the British Academy (1974), the Swedish Royal Academy of Letters, History, and Antiquities (1983), and the U.S. Academy of Sciences (1984), among others.
Further reading
K.C. Chang, 'Xia Nai (1910-1985)', in American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 88, No. 2 (June 1986), pp. 442-444.E. Field and Wang Tao, 'Xia Nai: the London connection', in Orientations, June 1997.