Thematic Research on the Heping Island Archaeological Site, Keelung

Research findings on otoliths, titled "Broad-spectrum fishing and small fish use in Late Neolithic Taiwan: New insights from otolith-based analysis," were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract/Objectives

In addition to completing the “Phase III Archaeological Test Excavation Project for the Heping Island B Archaeological Site Interpretation Center (Keelung City)” commissioned by the Keelung City Government this year, Ellen Hsieh has also collaborated with the University of California, San Diego, and the Biodiversity Research Center of Academia Sinica to conduct interdisciplinary research on otoliths excavated from the Neolithic cultural layers of the Hepingdao B archaeological site. Research findings related to the Age of Exploration at Heping Island are also included in a book.

Results/Contributions

The interdisciplinary study of otoliths excavated from the Heping Island B archaeological site provides critical new evidence for a prehistoric multi-species fishing model centered on small fish. This research emphasizes an integrative approach combining zooarchaeology, ichthyology, and ethnographic data to reconstruct previously underexplored prehistoric maritime subsistence strategies, while also challenging interpretative biases in zooarchaeology regarding fishing practices. The results were presented at this year’s annual meeting and academic conference of the Archaeological Society of Taiwan and have also been published in an international journal.

In addition, discussions of the Age of Exploration–related discoveries at Heping Island have been incorporated into a monograph titled The Archaeology of Early Colonial Manila: A Hybrid City in Global History. Invitations have been received from the University of Oxford and Flinders University to deliver special lectures in maritime archaeology programs. The Chinese translation and revision of the book are currently underway. Future work will further elaborate on the historical significance of Heping Island within regional networks of the Age of Exploration.

Keywords

Hepingdao B Archaeological SiteOtolith ResearchAge of ExplorationCoastal ArchaeologyMaritime History

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440325002717

2. https://floridapress.org/9780813079219/the-archaeology-of-early-colonial-manila/

3. https://rcuah.site.nthu.edu.tw/?Lang=en

The website of the Research Center for Underwater Archaeology and Heritage

Media Information

1. https://www.facebook.com/nthu.rcuah

Contact Information

謝艾倫

ehsieh@mx.nthu.edu.tw