Analyzing Research Trends in the Prehistoric Archaeology of Northeast China Using BERTopics

Key Points

• This study aims to objectively uncover macro research trends and academic themes in prehistoric archaeology in Northeast China over the last 15 years using the BERTopic algorithm.
• Utilized BERTopic algorithm for text mining from key literature collected from CNKI.
• Separated primary excavation reports and secondary interpretation articles for text pre-processing and topic modeling.
• Conducted a detailed hierarchical topic modeling analysis of academic papers.
• Significant shift in excavation focus from the Liaoxi region to Neolithic sites in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.
• Three major academic themes identified: traditional archaeology, cultural exchange centered around Hongshan culture, and economic studies incorporating multidisciplinary analyses.
• The study reveals the establishment of a strong independent academic branch in technological archaeology, combining zooarchaeology and environmental reconstruction.