Ran Chen
About Ran Chen
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropological Archaeology. I earned my B.A. in Antiquity and Museology from Zhejiang University, with a minor in Japanese, and my M.A. from Stanford University, focusing on Chinese Archaeology. My current research focuses on subsistence strategies and foodways in Prehistoric China, applying residue analysis, experimental archaeology, and ethnoarchaeological approaches. I also have a strong interest in lithic analysis and human-environment interactions.
For my dissertation, I examine the specialization and innovation of stone tool technology from the Upper Paleolithic to the Early Neolithic in North China. By combining residue and use-wear analysis of both chipped and ground stones, I explore whether the functions of similar artifact types became more specialized during the transition to agriculture and sedentism, and how these functional changes influenced the development of lithic technology. My research integrates the use of fiber resources alongside food resources to investigate various aspects of human daily life and evolutionary history.
Beyond East Asia, I apply archaeological science and anthropological archaeology methods to other regions and periods. During my M.A., I conducted residue analysis on pottery and grinding stones from Copan, Honduras, to investigate foodways and ritual practices. I am also currently conducting soil phytolith analysis at the Aguada Fenix site in Mexico, studying early plant exploitation among mobile groups. Additionally, in collaboration with Desert Archaeology, I am applying starch analysis on early agricultural period grinding stones from Southern Arizona.
I have field experience with the Picuris Project and rock art survey, and I have also explored historical archaeology related to the Chinese diaspora and descendant communities. At Stanford, I participated in the CVAP and ACLQ Chinese Railroad Worker programs. In 2023, I contributed to the Chinese Document Collection AZ 376 Translation Project for the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, working on old letters and papers from a previous excavation. I'm also passionate about teaching, mentoring, and contributing to departmental service, supporting the next generation of archaeologists and contributing to a collaborative work environment.
Selected Publications
Accepted:
Chen, Ran. "Red Rice Alcohol in Southern China: Two Ways of Traditional Brewing and Their Implications in Archaeological Research." Ethnoarchaeology.
Published:
Liu, Li, Yongqiang Li, Ran Chen, Yinzhi Cui, Xingcan Chen, and Wanfa Gu. "Emergence of fibrecraft specialization 8000 years ago in early Neolithic North China." The Holocene (2024): 09596836241266422.
Chen, Ran, Yahui He, Xinwei Li, Jorge Ramos, Moran Li, and Li Liu. "Fermented maize beverages as ritual offerings: Investigating elite drinking during Classic Maya period at Copan, Honduras." Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 65 (2022): 101373.
Liu, Li, Jiajing Wang, Ran Chen, Xingcan Chen, and Zhonghe Liang. "The quest for red rice beer: Transregional interactions and development of competitive feasting in Neolithic China." Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 14, no. 4 (2022): 78.
Chen, Hong, Liping Xue, Ran Chen, Hongwei Si, Yao Jin, and Yixue Tang. "A functional study of ground stone tools from the Bronze Age site of Dingjiacun in South China: Based on use-wear evidence." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 40 (2021): 103215.
Hong Chen, Ran Chen. 2016. Individual Behavior and Social Transformation: Agency Approach in Archaeology 个人行为与社会变迁:考古学中的能动性研究. Southeast Culture 东南文化, no. 3, pp.23-29 (Peer-reviewed in Chinese).
Translations (selected):
Books:
2024 Peter L. Storck. Journey to the Ice Age: Discovering an Ancient World 重返冰河时代：发现 史前世界 (with Hong Chen & Jiying Liu).
2019 Guangdong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Guangdong Qiaoxiang Cultural Research Center at Wuyi University, Stanford Archaeology Center. The Transnational Lives of Chinese Railroad Workers: Material Culture Research from a Guangdong Province Qiaoxiang and Railroad Worker Camp Sites in North America 铁路华工的跨国生活：广东侨乡和北美铁路华工营的物质文化研究 (with Jiajing Wang & Yahui He).
Documentary:
Fong, B. (2019). Making Ties - The Cangdong Village Project. 联结：仓东村项目 Available at: https://vimeo.com/325737738 [Accessed 19 Apr. 2019].(With Yahui He)
Courses Taught
Instructor:
ANTH 261 The Human Species: Heredity, Environment and Behavior
ANTH 160D2 Origins of Human Diversity
Teaching Assistant (selected):
ANTH 170C1 Human Variation in The Modern World
ANTH 160A1 World Archaeology
ANTH 170C2 Animal Minds
ANTH 160D2 Origins of Human Diversity
ANTH 261 The Human Species: Heredity, Environment and Behavior
Areas of Study
China, East Asia, Mesoamerica, Tucson Basin
Research Interests
Prehistoric Archaeology in China; Botanical Residue Analysis (Starch, Phytolith, Fiber); Experimental Archaeology; Use-wear Analysis; Archaeological Theory; Ethnoarchaeology