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ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESCUE EXCAVATION AT CHEK LAP KOK
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESCUE EXCAVATION AT CHEK LAP KOK TO COLLECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCES OF THE PAST HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ON THE ISLAND HAS JUST BEEN CARRIED OUT BEFORE THE SITE IS TO BE LEVELLED OFF FOR THE NEW AIRPORT.
COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE HONG KONG ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY HAS UNDERTAKEN THE WHOLE EXCAVATION PROJECT WITH THE DONATION OF $1.5 MILLION FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS IN THE PAST HAVE CONFIRMED THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF THE ISLAND. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL DEPOSITS OF THE NEOLITHIC, TANG AND SONG PERIODS AT THE THREE KNOWN SITES OF SHAM WAN TSUEN, FU TEI WAN AND KWO LO WAN.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
CHEK LAP KOK IS WELL FAIMILIAR TO THE HONG KONG SOCIETY IN WHICH SEVERAL SEASONS OF EXCAVATION HAD BEEN CONDUCTED THE ISLAND'S MAJOR SITES AT SHAM WAN TSUEN FROM 1979 TO 1984.
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THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL LAST FOR 13 MONTHS FROM OCTOBER THIS YEAR TO NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR. IT IS DIRECTED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SOCIETY, MR WILLIAM MEACHAM, WITH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT OF THE SOCIETY'S MEMBERS.
EXCAVATIONS SO FAR WAS CONFINED TO FU ΤΕΙ WAN. MAJOR FINDS INCLUDED A WELL PRESERVED STONE SPEATRHEAD DATING BACK TO THE LATE NEOLITHIC (3000-1500 B.C.) PERIOD AND MANY OTHER STONE IMPLEMENTS SUCH AS STONE ADZES, POLISHING STONES AND GRINDING STONES FROM THE MIDDLE NEOLITHIC (4500-3000 B.C.).
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A STONE BARK CLOTH BEATER EXCAVATED AT FU TEI WAN IS A TYPE ART FACT RARELY FOUND IN SOUTH CHINA. THE MAIN OCCUPATION OF FU TEI WAN OCCURRED IN THE MIDDLE NEOLITHIC, THE EARLIEST KNOWN PERIOD OF HUMAN HABITATION IN HONG KONG.
A PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT EXCAVATION IS то DETERMINE HOW THESE FIRST SETTLERS MADE THEIR LIVING FROM THE SEA BY FARMING AND FISHING.
THE SOCIETY IS EXPECTING MORE IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WHEN IT MOVES TO OTHER MAJOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREAS ON THE ISLAND; THE NEXT SITE PLANNED FOR EXCAVATION IS KWO LO WAN IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR.
ARRANGED BY THE ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS OFFICE, THIS PROJECT MARKS THE FIRST RESCUE OPERATION FOLLOWING THE PLANNED CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AIRPORT WHICH POSES A SERIOUS THREAT ΤΟ A NUMBER OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON NORTH LANTAU.
IN THIS CONNECTION, THE OFFICE IS ALSO ORGANISING OTHER RESCUE WORKS WHICH INCLUDED A DETAILED SURVEY OF NORTH LANTAU.
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