The Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) said it is re-evaluating the time needed to finish the Suhua Highway Improvement Project after discovering more Hanben Culture (漢本遺址) archeological sites during excavation work earlier this year, adding it would finalize the completion date by the end of next month after conferring with the excavation team.
The improved Suhua Highway was scheduled to be opened at the beginning of 2018 after the construction team first found the archeological site in 2012, which is dated from 1,200 to 1,600 years ago.
Further excavations in the highway section between Nanao (南澳) and Heping (和平) townships in Yilan County revealed a second archeological site in March this year, which is dated from 1,650 to 1,800 years ago.
Research fellow at the Institute of History and Philology Liu Yi-chang (劉益昌) said the second layer was 8m deep, which is about two times deeper than that of the first site.
Apart from pottery, stoneware and boneware, Liu said that archeologists also found stone and bone ornaments in the forms of animals and humans.
They also found large and small stone tablets for religious ceremonies, he said.
He said the layer was about 300m long and 100m wide, adding that such rich and complete preservation is rarely seen.
According to Liu, the discovery of the second layer was a major archeological breakthrough and is the key to understanding the formation of the Shihsanhang culture (十三行文化).
He said the excavation could help identify the source of the Taiwanese culture.
The Suhua Highway improvement project is to be put on hold until the excavation is complete, he added.
The further postponement of the project has upset residents of the east coast, with some questioning when the construction would be completed if it has be to halted whenever an archeological discovery is made.
Suao Township (蘇澳) Mayor Chen Ching-ling (陳金麟) said the construction is halted whenever there is an issue related to environmental protection and preservation of cultural assets.
“There is severe traffic congestion in Suao whenever there is a holiday. People have been expecting a safer and better highway for years. Preserving cultural assets should not be an excuse to postpone the finish date of construction,” Chen said.
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