The Ministry of Culture (MOC) announced on June 29 that it has designated the "Liangdao Daowei Archaeological Site" in Matsu islands, Lienchiang County as the 11th national archaeological site.
Liang island, a 0.35 square kilometer island is part of Beigan Township in Lienchiang County. The four ancient areas Daowei I, Daowei II, Daowei III, Daowei IV, collectively known as a group of archaeological sites, are located at the northeastern tip of the Liang island called "Daowe."
MOC pointed out that the remnants of shell mounds were discovered by then-mayor of Lienchiang County Yang Sui-sheng (楊綏生), while attending the Celebration for the 60th Anniversary of Ascending Liangdao on the island in 2011. After that, an archeologist Chen Chung-yu (陳仲玉) began the excavating work, unearthing pottery, stone and bone artifacts.
The researchers also discovered two well-preserved human skeletons, identified as a male and a female, and were named "Liangdao Man No. 1" and "Liangdao Man No. 2" after conducting DNA sequencing. The specimens are believed to have lived 600 hundred years apart and they yielded the most complete sequences for ancient human from the Neolithic period, off the southeastern coast of Asian continent. The discovery attracted great attention and was touted as a major discovery to archaeological research.
MOC will cooperate with the Lienchiang County government to carry out activities to promote cultural heritage education and the preservation of the site. In line with the requirements of Article 48 of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, the local administration will execute the supervision and protection work of Liangdao Daowei Archeological Site.
The study on Liangdao people has proved the importance of prehistoric human migration and expansion on the southeastern coast of the Asian continent during the mid-early Neolithic period. While the efforts to explore the unearthed relics continues, MOC hopes that the findings will fill the gaps in the history of cultural development.