Staff profile

My Study

I specialize in analysing archaeological materials using chronological and quantitative statistical techniques, particularly focusing on the themes of ceramic manufacturing techniques, art appreciation, archaeological identification, values, and trade. As both a ceramicist and an archaeologist, I am interested in studying the historical, social, economic, and cultural adaptations that occurred during the early globalization of Eurasia in the medieval period. My research aims to understand the social, economic, cultural, and artistic changes that accompanied the development of long-distance trade between ancient China, the Islamic World, and Europe. Specifically, I use a combination of archaeological evidence related to ceramics and their distributions to assess changes in the early global world's modes, including trade, cultural influences, value changes, and technical development. Through this approach, I aim to shed light on the development and nature of interactions among different civilizations in medieval Eurasia.

• Social and economic development of the historical period of China
• Maritime activities in Medieval Eurasia
• Analysis methodologies, ceramic chronology, and the application of quantitative methods in archaeology
• Chinese archaeology
• Value studies in archaeology
• Visual culture, fine arts, and art appreciation (ceramics)
• Museum artefact studies

• Material and Visual Culture

• Ceramics

• Ceramics

Chapter in book

• Zhang, Ran (2023). Chinese Ceramic Exchange in the Maldives and the Indian Ocean, AD 900-1900. In Imperial Horizons of the Silk Roads: Archaeological Case Studies. Franicevic, Branka & Pareja, Marie Nicole Oxford: Archaeopress.
• Lin, Meicun & Zhang, Ran (2022). Sino-Arabian Economic and Cultural Exchanges From the 8th to the 15th Centuries. In The World of the Ancient Silk Road. Liu, Xinru London: Routledge.
• Zhang, Ran (2022). The Glazed Pottery: Asian and Islamic Imports. In Archaeological Investigations of the Maldives in the Medieval Islamic Period: Ibn Battuta’s Island. Haour, Anne & Christie, Annalisa London: Routledge.
• Zhang,Ran (2021). Longquan Celadon Distributed in the Western Indian Ocean [西印度洋地区发现的龙泉窑青瓷]. In Globalisation of Longquan [天下龙泉]. Zhejiang Provincial Museum Zhejiang Provincial Museum Press.
• Meicun, Lin & Zhang, Ran (2017). The Silk Road: Intercontinental Trade and the Tang Empire. In China: Visions through the Ages. Niziolek, Lisa C., Bekken, Deborah A. & Feinman, Gary M. Chicago: Chicago University Press. 257-275.
• Zhang, Ran (2014). Two Stages of Chinese Ceramic Technology Transfer to Europe [欧 洲仿制中国瓷器的两个阶段]. In Proceedings of Ancient Chinese Ceramic Technology and Transfer to the World [中国古代瓷器生产技术对外传播研究论文集]. Shen, Qionghua Zhejiang Renmin Meishu Chubanshe. 283-297.
• Zhang, Ran (2013). On the Peak of Chinese Ceramic Trade in the Indian Ocean in the 9th Century [in Chinese]. In Proceedings of the Research of Ancient Chinese Ceramics. Zhongguo Gutaoci Xuehui 18: 409-422.
• Zhang, Ran (2012). proposal to create a databased and standardised classification system for Chinese trade ceramics to allow enhanced analysis and the comparison of assemblages [关于建立外销瓷记录法与其数据库分析应用的初步构想和内容]. In Proceedings of the Research of Ancient Chinese Ceramics [中国古陶瓷研究]. The Palace Museum Press. 17: 335-351.
• Kennet, Derek Zhang, Ran & Priestman, Seth (2011). Longquan ceramic of archaeological excavation in Near East – introduction of Longquan celadon about the Williamson Collection and the Siraf material [in Chinese]. In The Research of Longquan kiln. Institute of Chinese Ceramics Forbidden City Press. 447-57.

Conference Paper

• Zhang, Ran (2017), Communications of Ancient China to the West from an Archaeological Perspective, in Andersen, L. E., Ehteshami, A., Sunuodula, M. & Jiang, Y. eds, 'One Belt, One Road' and China's Westward Pivot: Past, Present and Future Danish Institute for International Studies, 62-68.

Doctoral Thesis

• Zhang, Ran (2016). An Exploratory Quantitative Archaeological Analysis and the Classification of Chinese Ceramics Trade in the Western Indian Ocean, AD c. 800- 1500. PhD.

Journal Article

• Zhang, Ran, Kennet, Derek, Brown, Peter, Song, Xiaohang, Guangyao, Wang, Zhai, Yi & Mingjun, Wu (2023). Longquan celadon: a quantified archaeological analysis of a pan-Indian Ocean industry of the 12th to 15th centuries. World Archaeology
• Zhai, Yi, Zhang, Ran, Wang, Guangyao & Kennet, Derek (2022). An Archaeological Survey to the Historical Sites in Ras Al-Khaimah as a Communication Hub Along Ancient Indian Ocean Maritime Trade Routes [拉斯海马在古代印度洋贸易线上的地位]. Palace Museum Journal [[故宫博物院院刊] 246(10): 63-75.
• Gutiérrez, Alejandra, Gerrard, Christopher, Zhang, Ran & Wang, Guangyao (2021). The earliest Chinese ceramics in Europe? Antiquity 95(383): 1213-1230.
• Razeghi, H., Zhang, R., Soljo, B., Chen, B. & Wang, G. (2021). Chinese Ceramics Unearthed from the Site of Jahan Nama Palace, Iran. Journal of Archaeological Studies, University of Tehran
• Zhang,Ran & Zhai,Yi (2019). Ancient Chinese Ceramic Trade Between China and South Iran [古代中国与伊朗南部地区陶瓷贸易管窥]. Journal of the Palace Museum [故宫博物院院刊] 7: 13-23.
• Zhai,Yi & Zhang,Ran (2019). The Williamson Collection: A General Introduction of Chinese ceramic finds [威廉姆森调查中的中国瓷片]. Chinese Cultural Relics [文物] 5: 55-68.
• Zhang, Ran (2018). Chinese Ceramic Trade Withdrawal from the Indian Ocean: Archaeological Evidence from South Iran. Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 6: 73-92.
• Meicun, Lin & Zhang, Ran (2017). A Chinese Porcelain Jar Associated with Marco Polo: A Discussion from an Archaeological Perspective. European Journal of Archaeology 1.
• Lin, Meicun & Zhang, Ran (2015). Zheng He's voyages to Hormuz: the archaeological evidence. Antiquity 89(344): 417-432.
• Zhang, Ran & Yang, Xiao (2014). An Initial Study of the Chinese Ceramics of the Royal Collection: The Changes in Sino-British Relations in the 18th to 19th Centuries. Nanfang Wenwu 124: 25-29 [in Chinese].