Interactions within Taiwan
In the 17th century, according to the Dutch and Spanish literatures, Basay of the northern coast obtained local gold by trading with Danau people using the same language at Suhua coast. The linguisticians categorized Basay language, Danau language and Kavalan in the Ketangalan language family. In addition, in different tribal villages of northern, northeastern and eastern Taiwan, they shared the same legend which mentioned the island, Sanasai. From the island, the ancestors of these villages landed on or settled in the eastern coast of Taiwan. The legend shared by different tribes shows their high degree of interaction. In addition, in archeological remains, the distribution scope of Shihsanhang culture featured by Pai Ying Pattern is generally consistent with Ketangalan culture language system. Furthermore, the same or similar utensils were shown in northern coast and eastern Taiwan, indicating the frequent exchange and interaction of the area at the time.
Off-island Interactions
Influenced by the monsoon which changes the wind directions seasonally in East and South Asia, sailboat marine exchange has been developed along the coasts of the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. With the rise of Indian, Persian and Arabian civilization, maritime silk road was successively constructed. From the Iron Age or even at an earlier time, Taiwan and the Philippines were included as the nodes of maritime silk road.
Material culture
Ecological Resources
Suhua Faulted Coast where Blihun Hanben Archaeological Site located is formed by the compression when Philippine Sea Plate sank into Pacific Plate. It has steep cliff at the back and faces the vast ocean. The environment seems to be dangerous; however, the resources are abundant.
Marine Resources
The terrain under the sea around Suhua is the same as the land area. It is steep and near the coastline, it is under the sea surface for several thousand meters. By the coast, except for alluvial fan at the mouth of Liwu River and Heping River, it lacks tidal flat. However, Kuroshio Current passes through the area near open seas. Because of the terrain, upwelling current is formed in the north. Sea water with nutritional salt is moved to the top, followed by great number of migratory fish and medium and large predator fish.
Terrestrial Resources
Animals
The mountains around Suhua are steep and they face northeast monsoon. The forests are dense and this area is one of the precious areas in Taiwan with the most ecological variety. In prehistoric era, the resources must be more abundant.
Rocks and Minerals
The site is located at the most ancient Tananao Schist belt in Taiwan. The accumulation has been formed three hundred million years ago. The following tectonic movements resulted in diverse and highly metamorphic stone, mainly including schist, gneiss, marble and different types of metamorphic pyrogenetic rock which tend to contain iron. In addition, the rifts among the rock formations become veins filled with gold through pyrogenesis. The rock and minerals were used by the ancestors after being brought to the mouth by the rivers.
Subsistence
Categories
Plains and vegetal remains are rare at the site. However, animal resources are abundant. Among the marine resources, the shellfish, such as giant clam, Turbo marmoratus, conidae, and cowrie, mostly live in shallow sea in limited amount. On the contrary, there are rich fish remains. At the time, people mostly caught medium and large vivacious fish, especially dolphinfish, and followed by Shortfin Mako, Sailfish, Sword Fish, and whales.
Methods
While bone Yukazi, fishhook and iron spear were unearthed at the site, cast net was rare. This shows that, at the time, the main fishing methods could be rope fishing and shooting.
Lithic Technology
Rocks
Hanben Archaeological Site locates at the ancient stratum with high degree of metamorphism. There are highly metamorphic rock and various stones everywhere. Ancient people of Hanben preferred gneiss, Crystalline Limestone, different types of metamorphic igneous rock and slate when making tools or using them.
Categories
Although people at the time have used metal ware, some tools were made of stone, such as adze and drill for woodworking and cutting and pounding tools for hard objects.
Bone, Antler, Tooth and Shell Technologies
Categories
Animals in the sea and on the land were served as food. In addition, animals’ hard tissues, according to the special materials and forms, were processed into tools or ornaments.
Types
Shell Artifacts：The shellfish have hard case and glossy cores. They tended to be processed into ornaments. On Hanben Archaeological Site, there are mostly shell rings and ornament shell pieces made of giant clam, conidae, etc.
Bone and Antler Artifacts：Besides Yukazi and fishhook for fishing, some beast bones with special forms were slightly processed to form handy tools. For instance, the near-end of the ulna of Artiodactyla can easily be held with a slot and the thinner far-end tended to be processed into a pointed tool. In addition, healed metatarsal of Artiodactyla and antlers were mostly processed into chisels or handles.
Tooth Ornaments：Shells and teeth tended to be made as ornaments because of the attractive brilliance and glossy enamel. The ornaments made of teeth were mostly from the beasts’ canine teeth or sharp teeth of predator fish such as sharks. They symbolized bravery.
Pyrotechnology
Raw Materials
Metal minerals in Taiwan are few. Gold is mainly distributed in the volcanic area of Keelung and the slate belt of Central Mountain Range. In the former, Chinkuahshih Mining District is the most well-known and the latter was mentioned in the Dutch literatures in the 17th century. In addition, gold in Danau at the mouth of Liwu River in the south of Suhua coast was dug out. In addition, rocks of the northern coast volcano and Tananao schists belt mostly contain Magnetite. After erosion and weathering, base rocks from these two areas were brought to the mouth of river and seashore by rivers. Being filtered by tidewater, it resulted in placer deposit. The previous two kinds of minerals can be found in Blihun Hanben. Copper mine in Taiwan exists in the form of chemical compound and require refinement. Besides, in Taiwan, other minerals to make copper alloy are few. However, metal can be reproduced after being melted in high temperature. Thus, existed bronze ware is part of the raw materials. Copper coins unearthed from the site can be part of the raw materials to make bronze ware. As to glass, glassware can be reproduced after melting.
Manufactures
Fabrication of metal ware includes the processes of material refinement and shaping.
Smelting：Except for gold which exists in natural state due to low activity, other metal minerals are in the state of chemical compound. The elements should be reduced after refinement. Iron materials mostly rely on block refinement. Oxidated pellets (magnetite and Fe3O4) are heated by charcoal to six or seven hundred degrees. Carbon monoxide caused by uncomplete burn and iron oxides result in reduction. Iron minerals release oxygen which combines with carbon monoxide and becomes carbon dioxide with the remains of sponge iron plate.
Forging and Casting：Most metals are highly extendable. Thus, they can be shaped in solid state by beating. Gold foil and ironware unearthed on the site were mostly made by beating and pressing called forging. Among others, ironware should be heated to reinforce its extendibility. Thus, it should be heated by forge. Furthermore, metals can be heated to the melting point to become the liquid state. They are then poured in the molds. It is forging. Sand rocks unearthed on the site are the evidence of forging.
Categories
Gold Artifacts：Gold is extendable and glossy. Thus, it is made to be flat and slice ornaments of different forms. The patterns were created by the carved molds.
Bronze Artifacts：They were mostly made by casting, such as bronze knife handle, various kinds of bronze bells, etc.
Iron Artifacts：Ironware mostly serves as blade tools or weapons, including slice knife, sword, spear, arrowhead, etc. The end of big arrow or hollow axe can be connected with bone and wooden handles. There are also pointed hooks and nails.
Glass Artifacts：They mainly served as ornaments, including bracelets, earrings, passementerie, etc.
Spiritual Culture
Burial Customs
Burial Place
Hanben ancestors mostly buried the dead in the houses and the front yards. They believed that the dead’s soul still existed in their bodies. They were still considered as part of the families and hence, should be buried in the family areas.
Burial Chambers and Coffins
Premature infants were mostly not buried with burial accessories. The rest were placed in the burial rooms assembled by slates. These burial rooms were in a row in the houses or in the front yards. The rooms could be used repeatedly. In the burying of the latter bodies, the early ones would be moved aside to make room.
Burial Postures
Most of the dead were buried with bodies turned aside and limbs folded.This pose resembles peaceful infants in the mothers’ wombs and might symbolize the rebirth of the dead.
Grave Goods
The dead might wear various ornaments. The pottery pots with food or the tools they used when they were alive might be placed besides their bodies.
Figurative Arts
In Taiwan, in the middle Neolithic Age around 3500 years ago, there were some objects with figurative motifs. The most well-known one was human and beast shape jade pendant. In addition, there were beast shape and beast head pottery handle and side-by-side human-shape jade ornament, etc. About 1800 years ago, the Metal Age, the appearance of figurative topics was unearthed more and more frequent. Moreover, the motifs were more diverse and complicated. The most common ones were the motifs associated with humans. In early times, the motifs did not show the facial features most of the time. However, from Metal Age, eyes, ears, noses and mouths among human-face motifs were presented. In addition, as for the animals, there were new subjects such as snakes.
Human Face Motifs
Specific facial features were significantly shown in Metal Age. On bronze knife handle, bone knife handle and pottery of Hanben Archaeological Site, specific human-face patterns are observed.
Rows of Humans Motifs
In Neolithic Age, on Zhi Shan Yang site, there was this motif. On knife handle stone from Hanben Archaeological Site, there is the side-by-side human-head motif.
Serpent Motifs
On Grinding stick of Hanben Archaeological Site, the pattern of snake was shown. A similar motif was discovered on San Ho remains of eastern coast, such as Jiu Xiang Lan.
Beast silhouettes and Figurines
They can be traced back to Neolithic Age. On Hanben Archaeological Site, slate beast silhouette and three-dimensional animal pottery figures were discovered.
Body Ornaments
Materials
At the time, nephrite which was commonly used to make ornaments in Neolithic Age was replaced by glass and metal, including glass bracelet, earring, passementerie, gold foil, copper bell, etc. In addition, shell ornaments, ornaments made by teeth and bone ornaments were used continuously. Furthermore, on Hanben Archaeological Site, local white marble was frequently processed into ornaments. Besides, there were ornaments made of slate on the island and chalcedony out of the island.
Categories
Unearthed ornaments of Hanben Archaeological Site were made of different materials and in various styles, including shell bracelets, glass rings, slates and marble rings on the arms and glass ornaments as earrings. The materials of passementerie are various, including glass beads, marble beads, chalcedony beads, jade tube beads, copper bells, marble discs, shell beads, shell foil, etc. According to the unearthed discovery of tombs, some could have been sewed on the clothing. |
