[6] Chinese archaeology began in an era when the Western historical narrative emphasized the derivative nature of Eastern civilization.
These narratives were supported by early Western-initiated projects, like Johan Gunnar Andersson's excavations of Yangshao cultural sites.
The jawbone of an ape and ancient stone tools—discovered in the same cave—have been presented as evidence for a fringe "out of Asia" alternative to the widely accepted African origin of modern humans, positing the "Wushan Man" and Peking Man as a pre-human extension of China's continuous existence in China.
[10][11] The other type of nationalistic pressure in Chinese archaeology is the suppression of studies that could disrupt the official narratives of the state.
[12] American sinologist Victor H. Mair says that he and Italian geneticist Paolo Francalacci were prevented from testing the majority of genetic samples taken from the mummies.