This course addresses the contributions of archaeology to, and its interactions with, the study of civilization in early China. Probed is a corpus of knowledge on key Chinese archaeological discoveries and developments in institutions, methods, theories and the ethos involved, and how these aspects relate to its intimate interplay with the history and culture of early China. These contents are spelled out in representative regions and exemplified in specific archaeological or (pre)historical subjects. The course exposes students to this specialized field of study on past material culture and offers them a unique set of knowledge, perspectives, as well as analytical and epistemological know-how, so that they can learn to be more prepared and intellectually robust to think and judge on the intricate world of civilizations and cultures like those of early China.