第1單元 Unit One: 臺灣的先民 Taiwan's First Peoples
台灣是我們生活的地方, 先民在島上留下了各式各樣的生活遺跡, 無論是史前遺址或原住民文化, 都是我們認識臺灣先民生活的最佳途徑. Taiwan is where we live. The first peoples on the island left behind a lot of evidence for their existence. Prehistoric sites and aboriginal cultures are both good ways to learn about Taiwan's first peoples.
1: 史前文化 Prehistoric Cultures
史前時代的意義 The Definition of "Prehistoric"
大約在五萬年以前, 臺灣島上就有人居住, 當時沒有文字記載, 我們只能從先民在各地留下的遺址和遺物, 推測他們的生活情形, 這時期稱為史前時代. 史前時代的時間很長, 依照時間先後可以分為舊石器時代, 新石器時代和金屬器時代. By about 50,000 years ago there were people living on the island of Taiwan. At the time there were no written records, so we can only study the sites and artifacts these first peoples left behind as a means of learning about how they lived. This period is called the Prehistoric Age. The Prehistoric Age was very long, and this time period can be divided into the Old Stone Age, the New Stone Age, and the Metal Age.*
舊石器時代 The Old Stone Age
臺灣的舊石器時代, 大約從五萬年前開始, 當時的人們靠採集野果, 捕魚和狩獵為生, 用敲打的方式製作石器, 並且已經知道用火燒烤食物, 照明取暖. 臺東縣長濱鄉八仙洞的長濱文化, 就是這時期著名的代表文化. Taiwan's Old Stone Age began around 50,000 years ago. People back then picked wild fruit, fished, and hunted as a means of survival. They used stone tools for hunting, though they already knew how to use fire to cook food and to keep themselves warm. The best known example of a culture from this time is the Chang Bin Culture, [discovered] in the Eight Fairies Caves in Chang Bin Township, Taitung County.
新石器時代 The New Stone Age
臺灣的新石器時代, 大約從七千年開始, 當時的人們除了狩獵, 捕漁之外, 也利用磨製的方式打造石器, 開始發展簡單的農業, 並製作陶器來儲存東西, 陶器上面還印有繩紋的圖案. 臺北的圓山文化和臺東的卑南文化, 都是這時期著名的代表文化. Taiwan's New Stone Age began around 7000 years ago. Aside from hunting and fishing, people at that time ground stone tools and developed simple farming methods. They made ceramic pots in which to store things, and decorated these pots with rope patterns. Taipei's Yuanshan Culture and Taitung's Beinan Culture are the best known examples of this period.
圓山文化以大量出土的貝塚為特色. 貝塚是有當時人們取食貝類後, 剩下的貝殼堆積而成. 卑南文化則以大量出土的石柱和石棺為特色, 石棺中還發現許多精美的玉器及裝飾品. The Yuanshan Culture is best remembered for the shellfish they left behind. After consuming shellfish, people during that period discarded the shells, and these accumulated over time. Artifacts from the Beinan Culture include stone pillars and stone coffins. Within the stone coffins, beautiful jade objects and clothes have been discovered.
金屬器時代 The Metal Age
經過漫長的石器時代, 到了大約兩千年前, 臺灣開始進入金屬器時代. 當時的人們已經懂得煉鐵, 會使用鐵製的農具, 獵具, 製陶技術也比以前進步. 臺灣北部發現的十三行文化, 是這時期著名的代表文化. After the end of the long Stone Age, Taiwan entered the Metal Age about 2000 years ago. People at that time already knew how to smelt iron, and used it to make both farming and hunting implements. Pottery techniques had also improved. The 13 Hang Culture, discovered in north Taiwan, is the best known culture of this period.**
在十三行文化遺址出土的文物中, 還發現許多來自島外的玻璃製品和中國大陸的瓷器, 錢幣等, 可知當時人們已經有對外貿易的行為. Relics discovered at 13 Hang Culture sites include glass jewelry from outside the island, and also coins and porcelain objects from China. Looking at these objects, it becomes obvious that people were already trading [with groups from] beyond the island.
這些珍貴的史前遺址和遺物, 訴說著先民在臺灣活動的足跡, 是我們認識史前文化的重要依據, 需要大家妥善的維護. These important prehistoric sites and artifacts are like the footprints left behind by Taiwan's earliest peoples. They are our evidence for prehistoric cultures, and we should all protect them.
2: 原住民文化 Aboriginal Culture
現在原住民的祖先 The Ancestors of Today's Aboriginals
史前時代非常漫長, 大約到了四, 五千年前, 又有人陸續遷移來臺灣居住, 他們就是現在臺灣原住民的祖先. The Prehistoric Age was very, very long. About four or five thousand years ago, people were continuously settling in Taiwan, and these people were the ancestors of today's aboriginals.***
原住民可分為平埔族與高山族. 平埔族主要是指住在平地的原住民, 他們跟來臺灣開墾荒地的漢人接觸較早, 受到漢人的影響較大, 傳統社會文化大多失傳, 目前生活習俗大部分與漢人相似. Aboriginal people can be divided into the Flatland Tribes and the High Mountain Tribes. The Flatland Tribes all live in flat areas, and their interactions with Chinese people settling in Taiwan occurred much earlier. The influence of Chinese culture over them has been greater, and many of their cultural traditions have been lost. Most of their living habits are very similar to those of Chinese people.
高山族中, 除了達悟族 (雅美族) 住在蘭嶼, 阿美族分布在花東縱谷平原和海岸山脈東側外, 其餘各族大多散布在中央山脈兩側的山地. 他們與漢人接觸較少, 現在仍然保有部分的傳統文化. Aside from the Tao (Yami) Tribe on Orchid Island, and the Amis Tribe divided between the East Rift Valley and the East Coast near the Coastal Mountain Range, most high mountain tribes live on either side of the Central Mountain Range. They have fewer interactions with Chinese people, and have maintained many of their traditions up to the present time.
原住民文化 Aboriginal Culture
臺灣的原住民大多以農耕, 狩獵獲捕魚為生, 過著純樸而自然的生活. Most of Taiwan's aboriginal people are farmers, hunters, or fishermen. They life a rustic lifestyle.
原住民配合一年中的各種生活節奏, 發展出不同的節慶與祭典, 如播種祭, 祈雨祭, 捕魚祭, 狩獵祭等, 每年收穫時舉行的豐年祭是共同的特色. 透過祭典的舉行, 男女老少穿著傳統服飾, 載歌載舞, 優美的歌聲和舞蹈, 表達對神靈的崇敬. 近年來, 這種富有濃厚文化意涵的節慶, 更吸引不少外地遊客欣賞, 同樂. Aboriginal people celebrate many festivals throughout the year, and have developed many types of festival. For example, there is the Sowing Festival, the Rain Festival, the Fish Festival, the Hunting Festival, and many others celebrated in accordance with various customs. During each year's harvest, they celebrate harvest festivals which share many common features. When festivals are held, people of both sexes and all ages wear traditional costumes, sing songs and dance, and these beautiful songs and dances express their respect for the spirits. In recent years, these culturally significant festivals have attracted many visitors from other places.
原住民的傳統服飾風格獨特, 式樣別緻, 村料多以麻布為主. 在器物的雕刻上, 圖案精美, 風格粗獷, 常能顯示身分地位, 反映風俗和信仰, 都是臺灣珍貴的文化資源. Traditional aboriginal costumes are very unique, come in a variety of patterns, and utilize linen spun in aboriginal villages. One can glimpse traditional beliefs and intimations of tribal status in the carvings, pictures, and other useful objects [that aboriginal people produce]. All of these things are both a treasured resource and a part of Taiwanese culture.
*This is NOT the way that most archaeologists divide this period of time. The stone ages are divided into Lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic (Mesolithic), and Upper Paleolithic (Neolithic), and the "metal age" is usually presented as two distinct stages, the Bronze Age followed by the Iron Age. I'm not sure if the classification system presented is something used among Taiwanese archaeologists, or if it is just a simplification presented for the benefit of fifth grade students.
When you think about the development of indigenous cultures, it does make a lot of sense to divide Taiwanese prehistory into three stages instead of five.
**The character 行 can be translated as either "shing" or "hang." Since "hang" is also a type of place, I think this makes more sense for the name of the culture. It may well be referred to as the "13 Shing" culture for all I know.
***Most of these people were of Austronesian origin - seafarers who settled islands all over the Pacific. I think the book makes a distinction between earlier, prehistoric cultures and the ancestors of Taiwanese Aboriginals because there isn't enough genetic evidence that these two groups were interrelated.
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