The Shandong Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology was established in 1981 as a public welfare institution at the departmental level under the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. In 2017, it was renamed the Shandong Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. In 2022, with the approval of the Office of Institutional Organization Commission of Shandong Province, the Shandong Archaeological Museum was officially inaugurated. The institute holds the qualification for leading archaeological excavation teams, as issued by the National Cultural Heritage Administration. Its primary responsibilities include the investigation, exploration, excavation, protection, and research of underground cultural relics across the province. It also oversees the protection, research, and utilization of grotto temples, the interpretation and dissemination of archaeological findings, and the promotion of archaeological science through exhibitions and educational activities.

   The institute has an approved staff quota of 132 positions, with currently 109 employees on the payroll. Among them, 37 hold associate professor of relics and museology titles or above, 4 possess doctoral degrees, and 83 have master's degrees or above. Additionally, 21 individuals are qualified as excavation project leaders. The institute comprises sixteen internal departments, covering various professional fields such as prehistoric archaeology, Shang and Zhou Dynasties archaeology, Warring States, Qin and Han Dynasties archaeology, grotto temple archaeology, scientific archaeology, cultural relics protection, and archaeological museum. It has established workstations in Linzi, Qufu, and Tengzhou within the province. In collaboration with Peking University, the institute has jointly built a field archaeology teaching and practice base in Linzi District. Over years of development, the institute has cultivated a professional team primarily composed of young talents, grounded in field archaeology and advancing multidisciplinary integration.