A newly-discovered prehistoric grave at Congde proves that over 1000 years ago Shisanhang Culture people came to Taroko to prospect for gold

Taroko National Park HQ commissioned Academia Sinica anthropologist Liu Yi-Chang to conduct the two-year “Research into human development in the Liwu River valley” project. Mid-way through the second year of the project there has been a major discovery: other people actually settled in the area long before the Taroko tribe.

The archeologists dug excavation pits at Congde (崇德), Buluowan (布洛灣),Taosai  (Jhucun竹村) and Shali (Meiyuan梅園). In the ancient grave site discovered at Congde, two complete skeletons were found lying on their sides, together with the earthenware jars that were buried with the dead as funerary objects. Taking the iron slag and gold discovered at Congde in 2007, it is thought that these are the remains of Shisanhang Culture people(十三行文化人) who migrated from north to east Taiwan over 1000 years ago. One of their motives for settling the area was "looking for gold dust”.

Liu Yi-chang said the double grave and the earthenware jar funerary objects unearthed from the Congde ancient site prove that Shisanhang Culture people lived in the coastal area of east Taiwan. Taroko National Park HQ said this discovery fills in the blanks relating to the activities of prehistoric people in the Taroko area. Further results of this research will be announced at the end of this year  

Translated by：Kevin Lax
Source：Taroko National Park Headquarters