Foodways, as powerful social practices influencing the demarcation and maintenance of group identity, provide an important element for the study and inspection of cases of colonial culture contact in the archaeological record. Even as archaeologists engage with theoretical perspectives that highlight nuanced frameworks of colonial contact, poor data sets often result in only the most basic utilizations of postcolonial theoretical perspectives. By looking at archaeological assemblages through the lens of foodways, seemingly mute archaeological artifacts—principally, ceramics—can be studied to reveal community foodways reflected in specific local utilizations and their role in the creation of a foodway habitus. Focusing on the entanglements of artifacts in locally specific community practices, the impact and results of colonial contact on the foodway habitus can be revealed. Illustrating our argument is a case study from Bronze Age China, where the study of ceramics as evidence of foodways reveals a new understanding of the Western Zhou (1050–771 BCE) colonial expansion. Rather than view specific vessel types and styles as perfectly corresponding to group identity, cooking and serving vessels should be investigated to uncover the idiosyncratic preferences of the communities who used them, and through them their ancient foodway habitus. [foodways, social identity, colonial contact, ancient China]

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________________________________________________________________Community-based archaeology is an under-developed issue in China and is hardly even considered to be an important research topic in Chinese archaeology circles. Considering the current legislative situation of cultural heritage in China, local communities can hardly get involved in archaeological excavations or preliminary investigations in or around their lands. The increased development of private museums in Shanghai over the last few decades is a novel and much welcomed effort for the protection of antiques, cultural heritages, and archaeological sites. This paper analyzes recent contributions of private museums in Shanghai in contrast to the previous works carried out by public-and state-operated museums. Without possibilities of archaeological excavations, private museums must find new ways to engage with the broader public and integrate them in archaeological activities and conservation efforts. Indeed, I show that private museum can in fact make significant contributions to counter-conventional interpretation of the past. ________________________________________________________________Résumé: L'archéologie communautaire est un problème sous-développé en Chine et est difficilement considérée comme un sujet de recherche important dans les cercles d'archéologie chinois. Compte tenu de la situation législative actuelle du patrimoine culturel en Chine, les communautés locales peuvent difficilement participer à des fouilles archéologiques ou à des recherches préliminaires sur les terres ou alentours Le développement de musées privés à Shanghai au cours des dernières décennies est un nouvel effort très apprécié pour la protection des antiquités, des patrimoines culturels et des sites archéologiques. Ce document analyse les contributions récentes des musées privés à Shanghai, à la différence des travaux précédents effectués par les musées publics et administrés par l'État. Sans possibilité de fouilles archéologiques, les musées privés doivent trouver de nouvelles façons d'attirer le grand public et de l'intégrer dans les activités archéologiques et les efforts de conservation. En effet, je montre que le musée privé peut en effet apporter des contributions significatives à une interprétation non conventionnelle du passé. ________________________________________________________________Resumen: La arqueología basada en la comunidad es una cuestió n infradesarrollada en China e incluso apenas se la considera un tema de investigació n importante en los círculos chinos de arqueología. Considerando la situació n legislativa actual del patrimonio cultural en China, las comunidades locales apenas pueden implicarse en las excavaciones arqueoló gicas o en las investigaciones preliminares en o en torno a sus terrenos. El crecimiento del desarrollo de los museos privados en Shanghai a lo largo de las ú ltimas décadas es un esfuerzo novedoso y muy bien venido para la protecció n de antigü edades, patrimonios culturales y emplazamientos arqueoló gicos. El presente d...

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