Liu Yi-chang 劉益昌
臺灣原史時期研究的意義與現況
The Significance and Current State of the Research on Taiwan's Protohistoric Period
The Significance and Current State of the Research on Taiwan's Protohistoric Period
從大歷史的角度而言,臺灣的整個歷史發展過程中,在史前與文字歷史之間的原史時期是一個關鍵。這一個時期經常指涉為外界(尤其是中國)對臺灣本島已有少量文字記載、但臺灣本島則無文字記錄的階段,學界往往直接放在史前最末階段討論,不過也早已提出此一段落。張光直先生並且在「濁大計劃」給了原史時代明確的定義,指出:「即歷史上所知土著族之直接祖先,在考古學上有遺物遺跡可以代表的階段,大約始於西元第十世紀前後。」(張光直 1977:4),並且說明其重要性。原史時期為連接史前時代和當代台灣原住民在文字歷史記錄以來的階段,使得台灣的人類活動史,尤其是原住民族南島人群在臺灣整體的大歷史之中,得以從史前到當代呈現一個連續不間斷的發展過程。本文介紹臺灣原史時期的研究現況,並且思考臺灣原史時期研究的積極意義,並討論方法論的議題。
The protohistoric period between the prehistoric and historic times is a crucial phase in the general history of Taiwan. It is often understood as a time when some written record about Taiwan existed outside of the island world (especially in China) but none was found yet on the island itself. While researchers generally merge the protohistory with the end of the prehistory, some scholars had long made the differentiation by recognizing it as an independent phase. For instance, K.C. Chang emphasized its importance in his Cho-Ta Project, stating that “The direct ancestors of the indigenous peoples known in historical times can actually be retraced archaeologically to the [protohistoric period] around the turn of the 10th century AD" (Chang 1977). Taiwan's protohistory is thus the hinge connecting prehistory to the written accounts on Taiwan's Austronesian indigenous peoples and bears witness to their multiple activities and the continuity of their cultural development. This presentation introduces the current research on Taiwan’s protohistoric period, highlights its significance, and discusses the methodological issues involved in its study.
The protohistoric period between the prehistoric and historic times is a crucial phase in the general history of Taiwan. It is often understood as a time when some written record about Taiwan existed outside of the island world (especially in China) but none was found yet on the island itself. While researchers generally merge the protohistory with the end of the prehistory, some scholars had long made the differentiation by recognizing it as an independent phase. For instance, K.C. Chang emphasized its importance in his Cho-Ta Project, stating that “The direct ancestors of the indigenous peoples known in historical times can actually be retraced archaeologically to the [protohistoric period] around the turn of the 10th century AD" (Chang 1977). Taiwan's protohistory is thus the hinge connecting prehistory to the written accounts on Taiwan's Austronesian indigenous peoples and bears witness to their multiple activities and the continuity of their cultural development. This presentation introduces the current research on Taiwan’s protohistoric period, highlights its significance, and discusses the methodological issues involved in its study.