Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art, Peking University

Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art, Peking University

The Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art at Peking University is located in Minghe Garden on the university campus and is the first archaeology-themed museum among Chinese higher education institutions. The museum is actively dedicated to teaching, research, and serving society, providing specimen observation and teaching practice opportunities for students studying Chinese archaeology and museology. It actively supports Chinese archaeological research, showcases the achievements of Chinese archaeological work, promotes public understanding of archaeology, advocates traditional Chinese culture, and actively engages in international academic exchanges in the fields of cultural relics, archaeology, and museology to enhance mutual understanding and friendship among people worldwide.

Main Overview

The Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art at Peking University is situated on the scenic West Campus of Peking University.

The foundation was laid in 1986, and the museum officially opened on May 27, 1993. The exhibition area covers approximately 2,000 square meters, and the collections include various categories such as stone tools, bronzes, oracle bones, pottery, porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, and steles. The permanent exhibitions are divided into seven sections: the Paleolithic Age, the Neolithic Age, the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties, the Warring States Period, the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. In addition, there are some temporary exhibitions, often in collaboration with other museums.

Opened in May 1993, the museum was jointly established by Peking University and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, an American friend. The Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art at Peking University has an exhibition area of 2,000 square meters. It currently houses over 100,000 collections, many of which are typical specimens from various periods of Chinese archaeology, such as stone tools from the Peking Man site at Zhoukoudian, representative artifacts from different Neolithic archaeological cultures, Shang Dynasty oracle bones, bronzes and jades unearthed from the Western Zhou Dynasty ancient tombs at Quwo in Shanxi’s Qucun, as well as pottery, coins, clay seals, and folk artifacts.

These collections originated from the Archaeology Research Office of the National Studies Department at Peking University’s Institute of Archaeology in the 1920s. Later, they were gradually supplemented by collections from Peking University Museum and the Prehistoric Museum of Yenching University. After the 1950s, the collections were further enriched with teaching specimens obtained by Peking University’s Archaeology Department from fieldwork sites, items allocated or donated by domestic cultural relics and archaeological institutions and museums, as well as donations from cultural relics collectors at home and abroad.

Museum Layout

The museum building is a traditional Chinese-style structure, consistent with the architectural style of other buildings on campus, and features an elegant and classic appearance. Its exhibitions are divided into two parts: one is a series of exhibitions of Chinese archaeological teaching specimens, displayed in chronological order and by archaeological culture; the other part showcases the recent archaeological achievements of Peking University’s Archaeology Department, arranged by excavation site.

Museum Exhibition Halls

The exhibitions are organized by excavation sites and have featured displays such as “Jinniushan Man,” the Beizhuang Neolithic settlement site on Shandong’s Changdao Island, the Jin Culture tombs at Quwo in Shanxi’s Quxian County, and the Guantai Kiln Site in Cixian County, Hebei. The museum houses a total of over 20,000 collections, most of which are typical teaching specimens, such as stone tools from major Paleolithic archaeological sites, characteristic artifacts from Neolithic archaeological cultures, Shang Dynasty oracle bones, bronzes and jades from Western Zhou Dynasty tombs and sites, as well as pottery, coins, clay seals, and folk artifacts. Being in the museum, you can feel a strong academic atmosphere and a rigorous scholarly attitude.

The museum regularly displays archaeological teaching and research specimens collected by Peking University’s Archaeology Department, organizes exhibitions showcasing important archaeological achievements, and hosts exchange exhibitions hosted by other museums and academic research institutions. The exhibitions emphasize the use of archaeological excavation data and select artifacts with accurate provenance. Based on China’s archaeological discipline system, the exhibits are organized by era, region, and archaeological culture, with special displays of artifact groups from the same archaeological stratum units.

The museum is equipped with advanced air conditioning, lighting, anti-theft and fire alarm systems, and closed-circuit television monitoring systems, providing optimal conditions for the proper preservation and utilization of the collections.

The Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art is committed to teaching and research while actively serving society. It provides students studying Chinese archaeology and museology with opportunities to observe specimens and engage in teaching practice, showcases the achievements of Chinese archaeological work to the public, popularizes archaeological knowledge, and promotes traditional Chinese culture. Since its opening, the museum has warmly welcomed domestic and international visitors, facilitated student visits for teaching purposes, and promoted China’s long-standing traditional culture.

Visiting Guide

Address: West Campus of Peking University.

Transportation: Take bus routes 332, 718, 732, 808, Yuntong 106, 114, 320 Branch, 332 Branch, or 355 Branch to the Peking University West Gate stop, then walk for 5 minutes.

Opening Hours: 9:00–17:00 (ticket sales stop at 16:30)