Spanning a large area over 18 hectares in Taitung City, Taiwan, the National Museum of Prehistory (NMP) together with the Peinan Culture Park are Taiwan’s first and also the most complete world-class museum and site of archaeology that represent Peinan culture. Peinan Culture Park has been built up around the prehistoric site, allowing visitors to view the excavation work in progress, while the National Museum of Prehistory is set a short distance away from the site.

The founding of Peinan Site and large-scale of prehistoric remains were revealed during the construction of the current Taitung Station (Peinan Railway Station) in July, 1980. The establishment of the National Museum of Prehistory was called to preserve these precious prehistoric remains dated from the middle to late period of the Neolithic Age, spanning a period from 5,300 to 2,300 years ago. The museum officially opened on August 17th, 2002, after 11 years of planning. It displays models and real-sized scenes simulating the lives of Peinan rituals and customs, including burials in slate coffins, jewelry making, and tooth extraction, as well as prehistoric cultures of other indigenous people of Taiwan.

Established at the old Peinan Site, this prehistoric site of Peinan Culture Park excavated more than 1,500 tombs, and significant quantity of clay vessels, pottery, stone implements, relics, along with great-scale of slat coffins found in Southeast Asia and the Pan-Pacific Ocean that unveil Taiwan’s prehistoric cultures.

Many ceramic vessels and jade relics in different patterns and styles with various totems have been found within the tombs, which reflect the social gaps that may have existed in the past. Another principal showing the Peinan Culture is that the tombs were found lying in a northeastern-southwestern direction buried close to their homes or in the neighborhood. The excavated remains of stone axes, knives, and pestles also tell the story of Peinan Culture that the people have made their living based through hunting and farming.

The National Museum of Prehistory and Peinan Culture Park provide an excellent place for one to learn about Taiwan’s prehistoric history and culture.

Please visit the official web site of the National Museum of Prehistory for more information.