Dr. Weile Li (he/him)

Professional Experience

26/08/2024 - 25/08/2026, Center for Quantitative History, University of Hong Kong, Post-doctoral Fellow

Supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project Reference Number: AoE/B-704/22-R)

Education

01/09/2020 - 30/06/2024, Zhejiang University, Ph.D. in Archaeology

01/02/2023 - 31/01/2024, Harvard University, Visiting Fellow

01/09/2017 - 30/06/2020, Shanghai University, M.A. in Chinese History

03/06/2019 - 03/09/2019, University of Wyoming, Visiting Scholar

01/09/2013 - 30/06/2017, Hangzhou Normal University, B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature

Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (English)

1.Li, W. (2026). Trade Follows the Sea: A Quantitative Analysis of Three Peaks in Chinese Ceramic Exports During the 7th–13th Centuries. Journal of Maritime Archaeology, 21, 25.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11457-026-09515-4

Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (Chinese)

1.Li, W. (2023). The evolution of materials, specifications, and paving styles in the construction of the Imperial Street in Lin’an City of the Southern Song Dynasty. Journal of Song History Research, (1), 234–250. 

https://oversea.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=wFrtWXqGzUhTf3CUbH-mMe5XOd5ZQBHb97u3aT8R4_rYVJ1qzXPYcqHpDyjbVqevLJLQyBz57EKkw-IiasDWLzfrTSp1B-2E96nlBh4ecRh7HdIVUMMEjbEUwSOGiD-UcCYOaf6nzZi03LwkwsXnvTMD4kEHfCOcggLHzQNFP6s=&uniplatform=OVERSEA

2.Li, W. (2024). Different levels: A tentative explanation of the conflict between the official architecture of Lin’an City in Southern Song Dynasty and the record in the “Yingzao Fashi.” Traditional Chinese Architecture and Gardens, (5), 77–81.

https://oversea.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=AnfjKog0mmyhdmIwPcCy808b74h9GwYaWRbjg-aN06nim-mchCaDc6NaIM4AQm2YSO2BtBSa59Zb1Xu3P2BKl45P7iXtJ-t5Qyr4Ki3zbvOOhuRdwh0Efh5lR8lAuH3vPlXWVoUv08SrrlTjBJBvmpVP-cbqgrThqVTE6Kn7usk=&uniplatform=OVERSEA

3.Li, W., & Kelly, R. L. (2020). Exploring archaeology of the American Paleolithic: Excavation of sites in Wyoming. Popular Archaeology, (12), 41–49.

Manuscripts and Works in Progress

1.Li, W. Horizon and Coastline: Archaeological Observations on Sino-Islamic Trade during the Tang and Song Dynasties. The Muslim World. Under review. SSRN,

2.Li, W. The Application of Quantitative History to the Archaeology of the Maritime Silk Road. Under review. SSRN,

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=7524402

3.Zhang, R., & Li, W. Islamization and Premodern Long-Distance Market Integration: Chinese Ceramic Exchange in the Western Indian Ocean, AD 800–1700. Work in progress.

4.Si, X., Li, W. & Yao, Q. (2026). Environment, Livelihood, and Culture: On the Evolutionary Drivers of Early Maritime Settlement Civilizations in China. In Ward, S. (Ed.), Time and Tide: Towards a Future for Asia’s Maritime Cultural Heritage. Under review.

Excavation Report

1.Shi, M., Li, W., & Zhang, X. (2024). Brief report on the excavation of the tomb of Zhang Shi and his wives in the Southern Song Dynasty in Hangzhou Xihu District. Cultural Relics of the East, (3), 7–18. 

https://oversea.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=wFrtWXqGzUg_4CP8JtYrU7rdAQW8FP1GjdSICU-a0R_7PbLtQXX27ORLKOp4aYOSVLu0jqJ71ko6ybjPm-iXEYrqeE3sFQFPmjhvF0M_29qqHivNIg2dBw_bUtN55iiUJW-t77qCgCVj7ImgIjTwsEdlN4oten_Q9nmGZjNXYyU=&uniplatform=OVERSEA

Conference Presentations

1.Li, Weile. “Investigating the Main Members of Shipwrecks in East Asia and Southeast Asia from the 7th to 13th Centuries.” Paper presented at the 10th World Archaeological Congress, Darwin, Australia, 27 Jun. 2025. World Archaeological Congress,

https://worldarchaeologicalcongress.com/wac10/exploring-the-depths-maritime-archaeology-across-the-globe/

2.Li, Weile. “Maritime Trade Routes of Tang and Song China (618–1279 AD) Ceramics in the Indian Ocean.” Paper and Poster presented at the 8th International Congress for Underwater Archaeology, Oostende, Belgium, 16 Oct. 2025. Book of Abstracts: IKUWA-8, Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee,

https://www.vliz.be/events/ikuwa8/en/book-abstracts.html

3.Li, Weile. “Quantification of Ceramics as Commodities: Three Peaks of Chinese Export Ceramics in the 7th-13th Centuries.” Paper presented at the Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou, China, 29 Oct, 2025. Guangdong Museum News,

http://www.gdmuseum.com/cn/col48/17224

4.Zhang, R., & Li, W. “Religion and trade: How Islamization influenced the Chinese ceramic trade in the Indian Ocean coast, 800-1700 AD.” Paper will be presented at the NASOH-NMHS 2026 “Maritime Margins: Missing Voices, Overlooked Places, and New Perspectives.” New Haven, Connecticut, USA, 26-29 May, 2026. 2026 Presentation Abstracts,

https://nasoh.org/conference-abstracts

5.Li, Weile. “Research on the Maritime Trade Routes of Song China (960-1279) Porcelain to the Northern Indian Ocean.” Paper presented at the 125th Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, Chicago, IL, USA, 5 Jan. 2024

6.Li, Weile. “Living Toward Death: A Brief Description of Epitaph Data Processing Methods in ‘Complete Song Prose’ and Research on the Tomb of the Deceased.” Presentation for the China Biographical Database Project Visiting Scholars Presentations, Harvard University, 2023. China Biographical Database Project,

https://chinesecbdb.hsites.harvard.edu/2023-1

7.Li, Weile. “Horizon and coastline: Archaeological observations on Sino-Islamic trade during the Tang and Song dynasties.” Poster presented at the 2026 Taiwan Archaeological Society Annual Meeting and Academic Symposium, Chiayi, Taiwan, China, 1-2 July, 2026. Conference Abstracts,

Research Grants (PI)

1.Hang Seng Bank Golden Jubilee Education Fund for Research 2024-2025: Preliminary Establishment of Archaeological Database of Tang and Song Dynasty Chinese Exported Wares and Research on Its Data (*.203700892.131873.45400.400.01): 01/12/2024 - 25/08/2026.

2.“2022 Doctoral Academic Star Training Program” of Zhejiang University.

Research Project Participation (Co-I)‌

1.The project commissioned by the National Cultural Heritage Administration: Investigation on the implementation of the main responsibility of provincial governments for cultural relics safety in 2022 (2022-126).

2.A Major Issues of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Zhejiang Province which topic is “Research on Historical and Cultural Heritage Resource Management System Based on Blockchain” (21YJRC02ZD). 

3.Collaborated with Ph.D supervisor and teammates to translate Gordon R. Wiley and Jeremy A. Sabloff’s A History of American Archaeology (Third Edition) for publication in China, Cultural Relics Publishing House, 2023.

4.2027 Hebei Province Higher Education Scientific Research Project - Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Foundation: Research on the Construction of a TSC Three- Dimensional Coordinate Model for Yan-Zhao Cultural Symbols and the Mechanism of Digital Translation Mapping.

Academic Service

1.Member of the Council for Asian Underwater Cultural Heritage (CAUCH) 

2.Reviewer of Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Pekinensis

3.Special Contributing Writer for The Middle Schoolers

Fieldwork and Archaeological Experience

1.05/2021 - 12/2022, Participated in the archaeological excavation of the “Lugongqiao Urban Village Reconstruction and Resettlement Housing Project Site in Shushan Street, Xiaoshan District” hosted by the Hangzhou Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute.

2.09/2021 - 10/2022, Cooperated with Ningbo Cultural Heritage Management Institute, served as the site leader of the “Ningbo JB19-04-11 Block Rescue Archaeological Exploration Project” and the “Ningbo Yuyao Ziling Road North Side and Chengdong Road West Side Block Rescue Archaeological Exploration Project”, and participated in the “Ningbo Fenghua Ge’ao Reservoir Construction Project Rescue Archaeological Exploration Project”.

3.06/2019 - 09/2019, Participated in the archaeological excavations at sites such as the Red Buttes Site and La Prele Mammoth Site in Wyoming, USA, during a visiting scholar period at the University of Wyoming.

4.05/2019 - 06/2019, Participated in the archaeological excavation of the Shanghai Qinglong Town Site (2016 National Top Ten Archaeological New Discoveries) led by the Shanghai Museum Archaeology Department.

Awards and Honors

1.09/2020 - 02/2024, Won honorary titles “Outstanding Graduate of Zhejiang University, Class of 2024”, “Outstanding Postgraduate of Zhejiang University”, and “Outstanding Postgraduate Cadre of Zhejiang University”.

2.03/2020, Won honorary title “Outstanding Graduate of Shanghai Municipality for the Class of 2020”.

3.03/2018, Won the first prize in the Shanghai Division of the “100 Universities Alliance” essay competition.