Archaeology in China: Millennia-Old Statues and Modern Geopolitics
Robert Cole
China has a rich history so long and complex that until fairly recently many scholars believed it was the most likely candidate for the origin point of the human race. Its civilizations have spanned millennia and some of the most powerful empires in the world could be found there. So it is hardly surprising that China is experiencing a massive archaeological boom as technological access improves alongside governmental and academic funding for new endeavors. Recent finds have radically transformed our understanding of Chinese history, going so far as to confirm the existence of a heretofore believed mythic dynasty known as the Xia. Yet despite such dramatic advances, Chinese history and archaeology rarely finds its way into American education, news, or in any form other than superficial depictions in film.
This is indicative of a larger problem in American culture and education: a failure to adequately encourage interest in global history, particularly outside of the North Atlantic. This goes double for America’s major opponents in the 21st century, most of whom are located in areas the average American knows next to nothing about. Indeed, only 36% of Americans in a New York Times poll could locate North Korea on a map. This is critical given that Americans are routinely asked to select leaders whose decisions shape the course of world history. A Morning Consult poll found that those who could locate North Korea on a map were far more likely to believe in a diplomatic solution to the ongoing nuclear crisis the Kim regime has initiated, and far less likely to believe armed conflict would resolve the situation. It seems clear that when it comes to foreign affairs, those with a better understanding of the players tend to oppose violent responses and better understand the nuances of modern geopolitics. In this light, it would be madness for patriotic Americans to remain uneducated on China and its history at a time when tensions between the two powers are on the rise.
In a democratic global superpower, education is a matter of national security. As Thomas Jefferson once noted “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people”. America’s China policy in the years to come will need to be nuanced and consistent if it is to cultivate trade and diplomatic relations while criticizing human rights abuses and other authoritarian practices. As is always true in democracies, more time and energy will be put into making it so if the American people are educated on the topics at hand and demand better from their politicians. Otherwise the US risks the kind of apathetic ignorance that contributed to some of the worst catastrophes of the previous century from the World Wars to the Rwandan Genocide.