Li Ji

Li Ji is celebrated for introducing modern Western scientific excavation techniques to China in the early 20th century. He shifted the field away from traditional antiquarianism toward a rigorous, data-driven academic discipline.

Li Ji led the groundbreaking excavations at Yinxu in the 1920s, which is the site of the ancient Shang Dynasty capital. This massive undertaking uncovered immense amounts of oracle bones and exquisite bronze artifacts.

His excavations at Yinxu conclusively proved the historical existence of the Shang Dynasty, which had previously been considered semi-mythical. The discovery of the royal tombs and written oracle bones provided the undeniable physical evidence needed by historians.

Yes, he served as a prominent professor at Tsinghua University before his work at Yinxu. Later, he became the director of the Institute of History and Philology at the Academia Sinica, heavily influencing generations of Chinese scholars.