Prehistoric Sites on the East Coast of Formosa

Research Project

Project/Area Number	63041102
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Overseas Scientific Survey.
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	Field Research
Research Institution	Kumamoto University
Principal Investigator	SHIRAKIHARA Kazumi Professor; Faculty of Letters, Kumamoto University, 文学部, 教授 (60089141)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	IWASAKI Mitsuhiro Assistant; Faculty of Letters, Kumamoto University, 文学部, 助手 (10213282) KINOSHITA Naoko Lecturer; Baiko-jogakuin College, 講師 (70169910) 劉茂源梅光女学院大学, 教授 (90210814) LIU Mao-yuan Professor; Baiko-jogakuin College
Project Period (FY)	1989
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1989)
Budget Amount *help	¥5,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,700,000) Fiscal Year 1989: ¥2,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000) Fiscal Year 1988: ¥3,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000)
Keywords	Cultural significance of the eastern coast of Formosa / Ealier expansion of culture of the southern region / Introversion of Formosan ceramic culture / Secularity of Bin-nan cultures / Similarity of Qi-lin culture with megalithic culture of Micronesia / Possibility of inclusion of Chan-bin culture in Neolithic culture / 長濱(旧石器)文化 / 新石器文化の可能性 / 亀山島踏査の必要性
Research Abstract	Into Formosa, culture complexes of different origin was introduced several times and developed, the ceramic culture there was formed earlier in the southern regions than in the northern regions. By this information we were able to profit in order to carry out our investigation on the eastern coast. The differences between the southern and northern coasts in prehistoric Formosa is closely related with their later developments, and the southern regions became connected with Bashi and also the northern regions with the northern coast of the East China Sea. For example, in the southern regions, the existence of the net sinkers of pebbles with notches on both sides show the connection with Bashi. These sinkers are to be found more abundantly in Bashi than in the southern regions of Formosa. Some scholars maintain that the culture of southern Formosa was introduced into Bashi, because Formosa a cultural base in the China Sea area. But the net sinkers of this type can be considered to spread no … More rth. The center of the fishing culture of the East China Sea is located somewhere in Korea and the Sea of Bohai. By the presence of hooks and harpoons, prehistoric fishing technology of northern Formosa is considered to be formed under the influence of the northern regions of the East China Sea. Although the ceramic culture of prehistoric Formosa come into existence through some external influence, it showed stronger tendency to self-sufficiency and independency in its later development. In Lan Island we have found several remains, Although their localities are strongly connected with fishing, we have found no remains associated with fishing. Large and coarse-chipped stone adzes are found in abundance, but they are not of Bashi type and reckoned to have been developed independently in Lan Island. Incidentally, we have a legend that the Ami tribe came through Lu Island, but we have discovered no remains by which we can confirm this legend. Culture which established itself in the west coast of Formosa spread into the east coast from the south and the north. The cultures of the south region and north region on the east coast are separated by the long-range natural cliff coast between Hua-lian and Yi-lan. Accordingly, the prehistoric culture of the east coast does not exist south of Yi-lan. It is characteristic of this prehistoric culture that almost all stone implements are rough-chipped adzes,carefully polished stone axes and adzes are to be found rudimentarily. The Bin-nan culture is famous for its conglomerates of slate cists which are generally considered to be cemeteries isolated from everyday life. But stone of the cist is supposed to be one of the reuse for house building. We find no stone structures in Qui-lin culture which is commonly believed to belong to Megalithic culture. Menhirs which are believed to symbolize man and woman in this culture are considered to an extention of utensils,e.g.,adzes and axes, and to have similar nature to daughnut-shaped big stone in Micronesia. A view has been proposed that abundant big oblong flakes of Chan-bin culture which is believed to belong to palaeolithic culture may be matetirals of neolithic stone adzes which are commonly found in the eastern coast. Less