Bulletin Summer‧Autumn 1991

After two years o f hard work, it was discovered that the earth at the site could be divided into several cultural layers, belonging chronologically to the Neo lithic Age, the Warring States period, the Pre-Han Period, the Six Dynasties period and the Tang period. The lowest layer is five to six thousand years old, presently the oldest civilization discovered in Hong Kong. A large quantity o f cultural relics were un­ earthed, including prehistoric tools and pottery bowls o f the Warring States period and the early Han Dynasty. Both the shape and design of these bowls closely resemble those unearthed from the Pre-Han grave in Guangzhou. Not only are they invaluable objects in the study of neolithic technology, they also prove that the earliest Tungwan culture bears re semblance to that o f Southeast China, Taiwan, Changbin, Indo-China and Hoabin, and that early peoples in the southern part o f East Asia had close cultural linkages. The Lung Kwu Tan Site Located in Tuen Mun, Lung Kwu Tan was first designated in 1985 as one of the five major archae ological sites in Hong Kong, the four other sites being Shamwan on Lamma Island, Cheung Sha on Lantau Island, Yung Long and Lung Kwu Sheung Tan in Tuen Mun. As Lung Kwu Tan was then located on the site o f a proposed highway, the government had set aside funds in the highway construction budget for an exca vation project to unearth the ancient relics at the site. In October 1989, the Centre for Chinese Archae­ ology and A rt was invited by the Antiquities and Monuments O ffice o f the Recreation and Culture Branch o f the Government Secretariat to participate in the excavation project. That was also the first local archaeological excavation led by Chinese archae­ ological experts. The mission lasted for five months and was completed in February 1990. A large quantity of Neolithic relics were discovered, giving valuable information on the prehistoric civilization in Hong Kong and the Neolithic history of Southeast China. Most o f the items unearthed were sherds o f pottery utensils, a dozen o f which could be fu lly restored. Other relics included elaborate stone rings, stone hammers, crystal flakes, grooved stones and splitters, all belonging to the late Neolithic Age. The grooved stones, used as knife-sharpeners by the early peoples, were estimated to be over 3,000 years old. The splitters were equally old, if not more valuable, and were used as wedges. Judging from such relics, Lung Kwu Tan was inhabited some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago and might have been a workshop for stone rings to be used as ornaments or burial objects. The Daiwan Site on Lamma Island Under the sponsorship o f Bei Shan Tang Foun­ dation Ltd., the archaeological team of the Centre for Chinese Archaeology and A rt collaborated with Zhongshan University in another excavation project in October and November 1990, this time at the famous Daiwan site on Lamma Island. Excavation activities at Diawan can be traced back to as early as 1933, and from diggings carried out in 1990, ancient graves some 2,000 years old were discovered. That was the first discovery of its kind near the Guangdong Province, and more than 20 ceremonial objects made o f jade and stone were unearthed. ARCHAEOLOGY 14