Chinese archaeologists are set for a hi-tech turn, with the latest five-year blueprint aiming to deploy AI and deep-sea robots to trace Chinese history, decipher the origins of East Asian humans and expand the country’s cultural soft power.

Scientists will develop technologies such as remote sensing, ancient DNA analysis, underwater archaeology robots and artificial intelligence (AI) models for virtual restoration of excavated artefacts, according to the 15th five-year work plan for archaeology.

They will also expand international partnerships to conduct fieldwork across Asia and launch joint research in the Austronesian-speaking regions, the Himalayan area and along the Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road.

In the Mediterranean and Middle East, joint teams will study ancient civilisations, partnering with institutions in Egypt, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia on underwater survey equipment, deep-sea exploration and heritage preservation.

The National Cultural Heritage Administration released the work plan in October, setting the direction for China’s archaeological sector until 2030.

The main goal is for China’s archaeology to contribute “to enhancing the influence of Chinese culture and building China’s discourse and narrative systems”.

Using big data, scientists will create specialised AI models to identify fragments, match physical pieces and perform virtual restorations.

China is also expanding into deep-sea archaeology to explore shipwrecks, which act like time capsules that preserve a single moment in history.

For example, the Nanhai No 1, which sank during the Song dynasty, proved to be one of the most important sites for understanding the maritime trade of the era.

Excavations revealed that despite strict official bans, the smuggling of metal goods persisted throughout the period, suggesting authorities might have deliberately turned a blind eye.

Building on these breakthroughs, the 2026-2030 blueprint calls for developing underwater robotics, deep-diving equipment and delicate subsea excavation tools to explore ancient Maritime Silk Road trade routes.

Beijing also plans to establish a national-level archaeological laboratory, alongside the under-construction National Museum of Maritime Archaeology in Qingdao and the National Base of Underwater Archaeology (South China Sea) launched in 2023.

Over the plan period, Chinese researchers will trace key historical milestones, including the agricultural transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic era, the emergence of early statehood and the development of imperial capitals.

The initiative will also examine major historical trade corridors, such as the Qin dynasty Direct Road, the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, alongside the border areas across Xinjiang, Tibet and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

They will look into the Xia-Shang dynasty civilisations from 2000BC to 1000BC and continue excavations at key Bronze Age sites – including the enigmatic Sanxingdui site in today’s Sichuan province, China’s first state-level society, Erlitou, in the central plains, and the capital of the late Shang dynasty, Yinxu. The plan also aims to conduct comparative research on Chinese civilisation and other world civilisations.

Investigations into human origins and evolution in East Asia will cover million-year-old sites in northern China, extreme environment adaptation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Eurasian population migrations.

The initiative will trace the emergence and adaptation of ancestral groups during the Paleolithic-Neolithic transition across the Yellow River and Yangtze River and the southern Lingnan regions.