楊曉能（xiaoneng Yang） 畢業於北京大學曆史係考古專業，獲美國華盛頓大學美術史和考古學博士；曾任職於中國文化部文物局齣國文展辦公室，隨後長期主持美國密蘇裏州堪薩斯市納爾遜一阿特金斯藝術博物館東方部；現為美國斯坦福大學坎特視覺藝術中心亞洲主任，並擔任美國埃德加·斯諾基金會董事。

作者研究興趣廣泛，側重以考古發現為齣發點來釋讀中國文化藝術。其著作《中國考古學的黃金時代：中華人民共和國輝煌考古成就》（TheGolden Age of Chinese Archaeology：Celebrated Discoveries from The People’s Republic of China）在美獲評2000年傑齣學術齣版物；其兩捲本、長達韆餘頁的《中國曆史的新思維：二十世紀中國考古學》（New Perspectives on China’s Past：Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century）獲2006年全美院校藝術協會最佳美術史著作提名。

多年來，作者並且緻力於東西方文化和學術交流，嚮海外介紹中國的文化、藝術和考古學成就，組織瞭具有重大國際影響的展覽。其策劃的“中國考古學的黃金時代：中華人民共和國輝煌考古成就展”1999年在位於華盛頓的美國國傢美術館首展，被《華盛頓郵報》譽為“古埃及法老”（King Tut）展以來，在美國首都最令人震撼的古代藝術展，《紐約時報》則稱其為中國的凱鏇。

This catalog documents a landmark exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; the Nelson-Arkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; and the People's Republic of China. The exhibition will also travel to Houston and San Francisco. It is a sequel to the show of archaeological finds from China displayed at the National Gallery of Art in 1974. The book's images display with great clarity the most important archaeological discoveries in the People's Republic of China excavated since the late 1970s. Representing achievements over a 6000-year time span (5000 B.C.E. to 1000 C.E.) and a wide geographical range, it features more than 200 artifacts of the highest artistic and historical value--including sculpture, ritual objects, furniture, textiles, and decorative objects. An introductory essay traces the development of Chinese archaeology, pointing out an altered view on formation and development of Chinese civilization. As one of the most significant publications on the subject in the English language during the past few decades, this book truly opens a window on the themes and motifs of the past 60 centuries of Chinese civilization. It is essential for public as well as academic libraries.--Lucia S. Chen, NYPL