XN000022-1993-07-20 — Page 14

13

TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1993

ARCHAROLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN RFCFNT DECADES HAD LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF MORE THAN 200 ARCH ABOLOGICAL SITES IN HONG KONG WHICH WERE BELIEVED TO CONTAIN

WEALTH OF ARTEFACTS AND OTHER EXCITING RELICS, HE SAID.

1

MR SO STRESSED THAT PRESERVATION OF ARCHAROLOGICAL SITES MUST BE A PRIME CONCERN, NOTING THAT BECAUSE OF THE THRIVING ECONOMY AND UNPRECEDENTED PACE OF DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG, SOME OF THOSE SITES HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO THREATS OF OBLITERATION IN RECENT YEARS.

THE SITUATION WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED THE NEW AIRPORT WHICH POSED SPRIÐUS THRE VIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE TERRITORY.

BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF

NUMBER OK MAJOR

TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, MR SO NOTED THE AMO HAD IMPLEMENTED VIGOROUS PROGRAMME OF RESCUE EXCAVATION WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

HE SAID THROUGH LIAISON WITH RELEVANT THE AMO MONITORED ALL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTEREST WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED.

A

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS,

ENSURE THAT SITES OF

IN SOME CASES, INTERVENTION BY THE AMO HAD LED TO REALIGNMENT OF THE ORIGINALLY PLANNED DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY, ENABLING SOME OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES TO BE PRESERVED INTACT, HE ADDED.

FOR THOSE SITES WHICH COULD NOT AVOID DESTRUCTION,

ᎨᏒ SO SAID TIMELY RESCUE EXCAVATIONS MOUNTED BY THE AMO ALONE, OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER LOCAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS, HAD SUCCESSFULLY PRESERVED THE MANY VALUABLE ARTEFACTS UNEARTHED FROM THE SITES.

SINCE 1990. A SERIES OF LARGE-SCALF RESCUE EXCAVATIONS. RY THE AMO HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON 17 ARCHAFOLOGICAL SITES, MOSTLY ON CHEK LAP KOK AND NORTH LANTAU AS WELL AS IN TUEN MEN.

MR NO NOTED ALL THESE ACHIEVEMENTS WERE NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE BY LOCAL INSTITUTIONS. AND DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS.

THE EXCAVATION VT YENG LONG HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN FOR SIN MONTHS AND WAS ONLY COMPLETED IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

AND POWER

IT WAS FULLY FUNDED BY CHINA LIGHT

LTU WHICH PROVIDED CASH DONATION AND OTHER SUPPORTING FACILITIES TOTALLING $1.1 MILLION.

THE EXCAVATION REVEALED TWO UNDISTURBED CULTURAL DEPOSITS. EARLIER ONE DATES BACK TO ABOUT 1000 В ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS. IN BONG KONG. THE (ABOUT 2500 BC) IS EXCEPTIONALLY RICH.

ין

▾

THE WHICH 18 THE OLDEST LATER NPOLITIK{" DEPOSIT

THE SITE AT YENG LONG WAS RATED IN A TERRITORY-WIDE SURVEY AS ONE OF THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT ARCHAFOLOG TOAT SITES THE OTHER FOU BEING LING HAI TA, LINK htt SIEUNH Tn, LAMMA ISLAND AND CHEUNG SHY ON LANTAI.

HONG KONG. SHAM

WAN ON

/14