At the invitation of Prof. Zhang Dongju from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, and Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems, Ministry of Education, China, Professor Eric Boëda from Université Paris Nanterre, France, and Professor Li Yinghua from Wuhan University visited our university for academic exchange and delivered a lecture on August 30, 2025.

Reporter: Prof. Eric Boëda, Université Paris Nanterre, France

Title: The Oldest Evidence of Human Activity in East Asia

Interpreter: Prof. Li Yinghua, School of History, Wuhan University

Moderator: Prof. Zhang Dongju, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University

Time: 9:30-11:00, August 30, 2025 (Saturday)

Venue: Meeting Room 502, Qilian Hall, Chengguan Campus, Lanzhou University

Reporter Profile:

Professor Eric Boëda is a world-renowned Paleolithic archaeologist, a member of the Institut Universitaire de France, a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award, and a tenured professor in the Department of Archaeology and Ethnology at Université Paris Nanterre. He is dedicated to studying the technological history and evolutionary logic of Paleolithic cultures worldwide, having conducted extensive field research across Europe, Africa, the Near East, East Asia, and the Americas.

In terms of disciplinary advancement, Professor Boëda has proposed a new epistemology of prehistory, refined the methodology of lithic technology studies, and pioneered the techno-functional analysis of stone tools, establishing a new paradigm in Paleolithic research. His contributions represent the most significant theoretical and methodological progress in Paleolithic archaeology during the 20th century.

Not only has he propelled the "Nanterre School" of lithic technology studies at Université Paris Nanterre into the "Boëda era", but he has also made exceptional contributions to the broader field of prehistoric archaeology. His academic works and theoretical frameworks have been translated into English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and other languages, exerting extensive and profound international influence and earning him high esteem in global academic circles.

Professor Boëda has authored three landmark monographs, including The Levallois Concept: Variability in Methods, Techno-Logic & Technology: An Ancient History of Bladed Tools, and The Technological Phenomenon in Prehistory: An Epistemological Reflection Centered on Levallois.

In addition, he has published over 130 research articles in prestigious journals such as Nature and Antiquity, with studies covering regions including Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University

September 23, 2025