Yuchao Zhao
Assistant Professor
Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University
zhaoyuchao@sdu.edu.cn
Education
2015-2022 Ph.D. Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
2012–2015 M.St. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP),
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)
2008–2012 B.A. Department of Archaeology, Jilin University.
Thesis and Dissertations
2022 Taming the Plateau: From Hunting to Herding in the Fourth Millennium BP at Meilong Cave, Western Tibet. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of Michigan.
2014 The open-air site of Yangshang (Gansu, China): Preliminary results and perspectives. Unpublished Master dissertation, UCAS.
2012 The lithic technology of the open-air site in Wuli Mountain at Faku, Shenyang Province. Unpublished B.A., (Hons.) dissertation, Jilin University.
Research interests
Paleolithic archaeology and human evolution; hunter-gatherer subsistence-settlement organization; lithic analysis and technological organization; Paleolithic soci-political organization; modern human origin and behavior complexity in East Asia; transitional periods in prehistoric East Asia; human adaptations on the Tibetan Plateau; archaeology of Tibetan forager-herder-farmer interactions
Publications (* indicates peer-reviewed)
*Zhao, Y. C., Zhou, J., Chen, F. Y., Wang, X. M., Ge J. Y., Li, F., Stewart, B. A., and Gao, X. (2021) Lithic technological responses to environmental change during the penultimate glacial cycle (MIS 7-6) at the Yangshang site, western Chinese Loess Plateau. Quaternary Research, 1-12. doi:10.1017/qua.2020.114
*Stewart, B. A., Zhao, Y. C., Mitchell, P. J., Dewar, G., Gleason, J. D., Blum, J. D. (2020). Ostrich eggshell bead strontium isotopes reveal persistent macroscale social networking across late Quaternary southern Africa. PNAS 117(12): 6453-6462.
*Zhao, Y. C., Li, F., Chen, F. Y., Zhou, J. (2019). The excavation report of the Yangshang Palaeolithic site in Zhangjiachuan County, Gansu Province. Archaeology 05: 66-77.
*Nian, X. M., Li, F., Chen, F. Y., Zhang, W. G., Zhao, Y. C., Zhou, J., Gao, X. (2016). Optically stimulated luminescence ages for human occupation during the penultimate glaciation in the western Loess Plateau of China. Journal of Quaternary Science 31(08): 928-935.
*Zhao, Y. C., Li, F., Chen, F. Y., Li, G., Wang, S., Gao, X. (2015). Minimum analytical nodules analysis on stone artifacts at the Xujiacheng Site in Gansu Province, North China. Acta Anthropologica Sinica 03: 318-329.
*Chen, Q. J., Fu, Y. P., Zhao, Y. C., Wang, X. Y., Lu, Y. (2013). The lithic technology of the open-air sites of Wuli Mountain at Faku, Shenyang Province. Wenwu Chunqiu 04: 20-31.
Forthcoming and in preparation
*Hou, Z., Zhao, Y. C., Gao, X., Seong, C. Comparative analysis of Upper Paleolithic obsidian lithic assemblages between northeastern China and South Korea from the perspective of distance decay effect. Acta Anthropologica Sinica [CNKI Online]
Zhao, Y.C., Li, F., Zhou, J., Chen, F. Y., Gao, X. The technology and strategy of core reduction at the Yangshang site, Gansu. Acta Anthropologica Sinica [Under review]
Employment
2022 Sep.- Institute of Cultural Heritage Assistant Professor
Shandong University
2020 Jan.-Apr. Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Research Assistant
University of Michigan
2019 Jan.-Apr. Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Research Assistant
University of Michigan
2018 Sep.-Dec. Department of Anthropology Teaching Assistant
University of Michigan
2018 Jan.-Apr. Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Research Assistant
University of Michigan
2017 Sep.-Dec. Department of Anthropology Teaching Assistant
University of Michigan
2017 Jan.-Apr. Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Research Assistant
University of Michigan
2016 Sep.-Dec. Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Research Assistant
University of Michigan
Grants, Scholarships and Prizes
2021 National Science Foundation DDRI Grant (ID:2104477) ($24903)
2021 Rackham Graduate School Humanity Research Fellowship
University of Michigan ($22430)
2021 Rackham Graduate School International Research Award
University of Michigan ($7500)
2020 College of Literature, Science, and Arts EHAP Research Award
University of Michigan ($1000)
2020 Esherick-Ye Family Foundation Fellowship ($1250)
2020 Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Katherine Taylor Fellowship
University of Michigan ($7500)
2019 Department of Anthropology Tuition Only Fellowship
University of Michigan
2019 Museum of Anthropological Archaeology James B. Griffin Scholarship
University of Michigan ($4000)
2019 Rackham Graduate School Conference Travel Grant
University of Michigan ($800)
2018 Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Endowment Award
University of Michigan ($5000)
2018 Rackham Graduate School Conference Travel Grant
University of Michigan ($800)
2018 Rackham Graduate School Graduate Research Grant
University of Michigan ($1500)
2017 Rackham Graduate School Rackham Summer Award
University of Michigan ($8000)
2017 Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Endowment Award
University of Michigan ($5296)
2017 Rackham Graduate School Conference Travel Grant
University of Michigan ($1050)
2017 Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Feuerwerker Fellowship
University of Michigan ($500)
2016 Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Endowment Award
University of Michigan ($5315)
2016 Department of Anthropology Summer Funding
University of Michigan ($4000)
Current Project
2021-2023 Co-PI: Taming the Plateau: from hunting to herding in prehistoric western Tibet. (Supported by NSF Arch-DDRI: No. 2104477)
2018-2022 Crew Chief: The Paleolithic survey and excavation in Ngari Prefecture in the west of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Supported by the Strategic Prior ity Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road: No.XDA2004010102; National Natural Science Foundation of China: No. 41572022, 41672024, 41672352, 41372362, and 41472026.)
Fieldwork experience
2021 IVPP & Tibetan Cultural Relics Conservation Institute Investigator
Archaeological excavation of the Meilong Cave in Ngari, Tibet, China.
2019 IVPP & Tibetan Cultural Relics Conservation Institute Investigator
Archaeological surveys and excavations in Ngari, Tibet, China.
2019 IVPP & Ningxia Cultural Relics Conservation Institute Archaeologist
Excavation of the site of Shuidonggou Locality 2, Ningxia, China.
2018 IVPP & Tibetan Cultural Relics Conservation Institute Investigator
Archaeological surveys and excavations in Ngari, Tibet, China.
2017 University of Texas at Arlington Crew Chief
Archaeology Field School at Way Ranch, San Marcos.
2016 University of Michigan Archaeologist
Great lake underwater archaeology, Alpena, Michigan.
2016 IVPP & Tibetan Cultural Relics Conservation Institute Archaeologist
Nwya Devu open-air site excavation, Tibet, China.
2016 U of M & University of New Hampshire Archaeologist
Camp Fort Hill survey and excavation, Sturgis, Michigan.
2015 IVPP Archaeologist
Excavation of the site of Zhoukoudian Locality 1, Beijing, China.
2014 IVPP & Gansu Provincial Institute of Archaeology Investigator
Excavation of the site of Shixiakou Locality 2, Gansu, China.
2014 IVPP & Max Planck Institute Archaeologist
Excavation of the site of Shuidonggou Locality 2, Ningxia, China.
2013 IVPP Archaeologist
Excavation of the site of Zhoukoudian Locality 1, Beijing, China.
2013 IVPP & Gansu Provincial Institute of Archaeology Investigator
Excavation of the site of Yangshang, Gansu, China.
2013 IVPP& Inner Mongolia Museum Archaeologist
Excavation of the site of Jinsitai cave, Inner Mongolia, China.
2012 IVPP Archaeologist
Excavation of the site of Zhoukoudian Locality 1, Beijing, China.
2011 Jilin University& Hebrew University Archaeologist
Survey of Early Neolithic sites in western Liaoning, China.
2010 Jilin University Field School Trainee
Excavation of the site of Weijiawopu, Inner Mongolia, China.
Presentations:
2020 The excavation of the Yangshang site in Gansu province and its lithic technological organizations. Presented at Silk Road Paleolithic Archaeology and 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the First Paleolithic Stone Artifact in Gansu Province. Gansu, China.
2018 Tracing late Quaternary highland-dryland social connectivity in southern Africa with ostrich eggshell bead strontium values: Preliminary results. Presented at 83rd Annual Meeting of Society of American Archaeology. Washington, D.C., USA.
2017 Technology and Human Response to Climate Change at the Penultimate Glaciation (MIS7-6) in China’s West Loess Plateau: A view from Yangshang, Gansu Province. Presented at Society of American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting. Vancouver, BC, Canada
2011 Discussing public archaeology from a communication perspective. Presented at 4th National Universities Archaeology Forum. Jilin, China.
