Archeological finds in Taichung last year, which seem to show a mother cradling her child, have been described by media outlets as a perfect symbol of a mother’s timeless love ahead of the Mother’s Day celebrations.
Carbon dating suggested the bones excavated from what is now called the Anhe Ruins (安和遺址) last year near the intersection of Anhe Road, Taiwan Boulevard and Chaoma Road in Taichung, along with 47 other sets of fossilized bones, are 4,800 years old.
National Museum of Natural Science department of anthropology director Chu Whei-lee (屈慧麗) said carbon tests showed the findings to be the earliest traces of human activity in central Taiwan.
Photo courtesy of National Museum of Natural Science
The ruins were designated a city heritage site, with the immediate area around the ruins also designated a temporary heritage area.
The area is to be under the protection of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法), with any development requiring governmental oversight or test digging to ensure no fossils or relics are in the area, Taichung Bureau of Cultural Affairs Director Wang Chih-cheng (王志誠) said.
Wang added that if the city discovers an obvious “cultural layer,” an archeological term defined as any layer within an archeological dig formed by relics left by evident human activity, the city government will be sure to preserve the relics and see to their removal for professional care.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source