Shell mound site of the Neolithic Age

Location: Taibei, Taiwan Province

Period: 2,400- 1,100 BC

Excavated in 1953

Jade objects of man and animal: ornament (up); Shouldered stone axe: tool (mid); Pottery jar and the remnant mouth of jar: container (bottom, the largest is 14 cm high)

Significance: The site has supplied important material objects to the study of the prehistoric cultures of Taiwan.

 Introduction

As one of the first and most regionally renowned archeological findings in Taiwan, the Yuanshan Archeological Site contains the island's largest collection of prehistoric shell mounds and a wealth of finely crafted artifacts. The mounds, left by the Neolithic Yuanshan Culture, were identified in 1897 when crude stone tools were discovered here. Subsequent excavations since the discovery revealed vast mounds of shells mixed with animal bones, stone, jade, pottery, and bone implements as well as funerary objects. From these remains we know that this early community lived on fishing, hunting, and farming.

Yuanshan Site is the representative of the Yuanshan Culture. It has been excavated several times, however, due to limited manual labor and techniques it is difficult to do a complete research in a short period. Although the site is not very large, yet it holds historic and cultural values.