They believed she did a disservice to her profession and particularly to women doctors by lowering herself to work with her hands ‘like a common laborer.’

“I’m just a common laborer,” Jones said.

So when they came under criticism, meatpackers would say, “Well, we’re giving beef to the working class, the ‘common laborer,’ ” as they would put it.

Certain individuals, such as wealthy tribal leaders or priests, were more likely to leave an archaeological footprint than a common laborer who dies penniless.

Tang’s quest has captivated China in part because of a cruel irony: His son was not a common laborer like him but a pharmacist, working in China’s vast health-care system.