This book summarizes the systematic research on the Neolithic cultures of Taiwan, based on the latest archaeological discoveries, and focusing on the maritime interactions between mainland southeast China, Taiwan, and southeast Asia during (5600-1800 BP). The study demonstrates and sheds light on the distinctiveness of Taiwan's Neolithic cultures, their interactions with the external cultures of its surrounding regions, the maritime cultural diffusion and early seafaring across sea regions like the Taiwan Strait, Bashi channel and South China Sea. Drawing on the author's deep understanding of Taiwan and its surrounding regions, the book also incorporates recent archeological findings by Taiwanese researchers. Further, based on a new reconstruction of the spatiotemporal framework of Taiwanese prehistoric cultures, the chronologically arranged chapters discuss Neolithic cultures of the early, middle, late and final stage of this island region, revealing the prehistoric cultural development, regional typology and their maritime interactions with surrounding regions. The typological study of the native traits and external cultural influences of each stage of Neolithic culture shows the prehistoric and early history of this key stepping stone in the Asia-Pacific region.

Autorentext
Su-chiu Kuo, holds a PhD. in Archaeology from Tokyo University of Japan, and is an Associate Research Fellow of the Institute of History and Philology at the Academia Sinica of Taiwan. She has served as an excavator at a series of important Neolithic sites in Taiwan, such as Botanical Garden, Yuanshan and Fengpitou. She has published a number of papers on the Neolithic maritime cultural interaction across the Taiwan Strait.

Inhalt
1 Introduction1.1 Taiwan as a Cultural Stepping Stone between Continental East Asia and the Pacific1.2 A Review of Research into Taiwan's Prehistoric Cultures: From Material Culture to the Origin of Austronesians1.2.1 Early Investigations into the Origins of Material Cultures by Japanese Scholars in Taiwan1.2.2 Archaeological Research by Scholars from Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait: Discussion of Cultural Interactions between Continental Asia and Islands1.2.3 Western Scholars' Research into the Origins of the Austronesian Peoples1.3 Methodology and Framework of This Book1.3.1 Synthesis of Archaeological Materials and Reconstruction of a Chronology of Prehistoric Cultures of Taiwan1.3.2 Conducting Synchronically Comparative Research on Mainland-Islands Prehistoric Cultural Interactions
2 Spatial-Temporal Framework for the Prehistoric Cultures of Taiwan2.1 Revision of the Spatial-Temporal Framework for the Neolithic Cultures of Taiwan2.1.1 Summary of the Cultural Sequence of Neolithic Cultures of Taiwan2.1.2 Spatial Distribution of Neolithic Cultures in Taiwan2.1.3 New Recognition of the Chronology of Taiwan's Prehistory2.2 Spatial Interaction and Temporal Development of Taiwan's Neolithic Cultures2.2.1 Spatial Patterns of Neolithic Taiwan The Sub-regional Cultural Sequences Developing Separately in Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern Taiwan2.2.2 Temporal Sequences of Neolithic Taiwan Cultural Commonalities during the Early, Middle, Late, and Final Neolithic ages2.3 Conclusion2.3.1 Unification of Diverse Cultures in Prehistoric Taiwan2.3.2 Maritime Cultural Contacts between Taiwan and External Areas
3 Archaeological Cultures and their Maritime Interactions during the Tapenkeng Period (5,2004,200 B.P.)3.1 Archaeological Cultures during the Tapenkeng Period3.1.1 Northern Taiwan: Shuntanpu Early Culture3. 1.2 Central Taiwan: Niumatou Early Culture3.1.3 Southern Taiwan: Kuoyeh Culture3. 1.4 Eastern Taiwan: Tapenkeng Period Features of the Yuemei III and Changkuang Sites3.1.5 Commonalities and Regional Characteristics among Tapenkeng Period Cultures in Taiwan3.2 Maritime Interactions with External Prehistoric Cultures during the Tapenkeng Period3.2.1 Overview of Interactions between Taiwan's Prehistoric Cultures and the Southeast Coast of Continental East Asia during the Tapenkeng Period3. 2.2 Influence of Liangzhu Culture3. 2.3 Influence of Lower Layer of Keqiutou Culture and Lower and Middle Layers of Tanshishan Culture in Fujian3. 2.4 Commonalities and Interactions with Xiantouling-Tawan Culture in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong 3. 3 Conclusion
4  Archaeological Cultures during the Successive Period of TPK and their Maritime Connections (4200 3200 B.P.)4.1 Archaeological Culture of the Successive Period of TPK4.1.1 NorthernTaiwan: Shuntanpu Late Culture4. 1.2 Central Taiwan: Niumatou Late Culture4. 1.3 Southern Taiwan: Niuchoutsu Culture4. 1.4 Eastern Taiwan: Takeng and Fushan Cultures4. 1.5 Sustained development of the Successive Period of TPK4.2 Maritime Interactions and Exchanges during the Successive Period of TPK4.2.1 Maritime Interactions between the Niuchoutsu and Maqiao Cultures4.2.2 Maritime Interactions between Shuntanpu Late Culture and Fujian's Zhuangbianshan Upper Layer Type4.2.3 Exchanges between the Successive Period of TPK and Southern Fujian Bronze Culture4.2.4 Interactions between the Successive Period of TPK and the Late Baojingwan Culture of Pearl River Delta in Guangdong4.2.5 Maritime Cultural Interactions between the Successive Period of TPK and the Philippines' Prehistoric Cultures4.3 Conclusion
5  Archaeological Cultures during the Late and Final Neolithic Ages, and their Maritime Connections (3200 to 1800 B.P.)&lt...