Archaeological Study of Mountain Site in Taiwan： A Case Study of the Upper Da-Han River Valley Area
Date Issued
2004
Date
2004
Author(s)
Pan, Yi-Jung
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
Abstract
This thesis is an application of methods of regional archaeology in understanding the prehistory of the Upper Da-Han River Valley area in Northern Taiwan. This area is defined as “mountain area” in Taiwanese anthropological and archaeological literature and the term has its specific meaning in Taiwanese prehistory.
Numerous researches have suggested that human behaviors can be well detected by analyzing characteristics of artifacts from their associated archaeological sites. The goal of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of the how prehistoric inhabitants of the Upper Da-Han River Valley interacted both with other groups of people and with the natural environment. Artifacts analyzed in this study were acquired from surface survey and excavations in the study area. Analyses of stone tools and pottery focus on the concepts of “technological choice” and “technological style” in attempt to reveal their raw materials, function, technology and style. While identifying basic features of the artifacts is an important goal in this study, the potential significance of the study site conveyed by its remaining artifacts is of the most interests. The concept of technological style is therefore applied on comparing artifacts of the study area with those excavated from other Iron Age sites in Northern and Central Taiwan.
Results of artifact analyses suggest that artifact styles and technology of the Upper Da-Han River Valley area are best represented by the Gao-yi site. Various types of stone tools are found in this site, including net sinkers, spindle whorls, adzes and grinding stones. The pottery assemblages, mostly jars, are identical in forms while diverse in decorating patterns. In addition, the commonly seen tools in the “Mountain area”, such as stone hoes and axes, are also found in the study area. The technological style analysis suggests that although prehistoric Gao-yi people lived in the mountain area, they did not live in isolated lifeways. The styles of their pottery and stone tools show that they may have well adapted their natural environment and may have had maintained interaction networks with other populations who living in northern Taiwan.
Finally, compared with other sites (such as Shisanhang and Pantsaiyuen), distinctive pottery style from the Gao-yi Site indicates that the prehistoric Gao-yi people probably lived as an individual social entity or a social group.
Subjects
大漢溪上游河谷地區
山區遺址
技術風格
鐵器時代
Gao-yi site
Upper Da-Han River Valley area
mountain site
Iron-age
Technological style
Type
other
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