In the present paper the author recalls his growth under the care and instruction of Prof. Xia Nai as the director of the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (later CASS), as well as his own experience of Xia's multi-aspect concern for and meticulous direction of the Editorial Section's work and publishing affairs of the Institute, and expresses his earnest respect and admiration for Xia's noble character, profound learning and lofty spirit of devoting all his life to China's archaeological cause, of which the author cherishes his memory in unforgetting affection.
In the year of 2000，we joyfully welcome in a new century and will celebrate the publication of 400 numbers of the present journal since its initiation．To push forward the Chinese archaeological cause，the Office of Archaeological Publication invited specialists and scholars in various fields to a large-scale conversation by writing under the topic“Archaeology：Reviews and Prospects at the Turn of the Century．”The content of the conversation includes world archaeology，Eurasian archaeology，Chinese archaeology，archaeology of Sino-foreign exchanges，comparative studies of Chinese and foreign archaeology，the scientization of Chinese archaeology，archaeology and history，prehistori carchaeology，studies of ancient jades，scientific and technological archaeology，the application of drilling techniques and other important problems of archaeological theory and practice．
