Not far from Taitung, in a sugarcane field in Tulan, stands what seems to be a small rock. Resembling the upper half of a pregnant woman, the object measures a meter high, and is 140 centimeters wide at the shoulder and 230 centimeters at the bust.
The Amei aborigines explain the "statue" with a myth. Once a plague came to the area, wiping out scores of inhabitants. Those that buried the dead in the morning were often buried by others in the evening. One pregnant woman, enraged that she could not escape the disease, perished and then turned into stone, standing silently as an accusation against the maker of this world.
Nearby lives a farmer named Liu, who has unearthed several curious artifacts. Liu tells us he is originally from Yunnan, was a guerrilla in Burma before coming to Taiwan, and has been a farmer since 1962. He leads us to a drainage ditch, broken in half while being unearthed, and closely resembling a stone coffin of the neolithic Peinan culture. The steps to Liu's home and his patio table are made from various Peinan stone coffins, unearthed by Liu himself.
Liu also shows us small green earrings that he found in the area. Some are intact but most are broken.
Liu's close friend, Cheng, came to Tulan earlier and today is close to 70. Says Cheng of Liu, "When he first came here, he was just a kid. If he found a ring intact, he'd play with it. If it broke, well, what was so special about it anyway? When we were guerrillas, we ran across so many jewels." From the tone of Cheng's voice, it is evident that the shards of Tulan cannot compare with the wonders of Yunnan and Burma.
Farmers here grow sweet potatoes, peanuts, and corn. When the land was being cleared and cultivated, several artifacts were broken and discarded, being considered to be of little value.
Liu at first denies that any have been left intact, but later accedes to our request and brings out an assortment of bottles and pots. Out of a collection of combs, nails, copper coins, chopsticks, and buttons, he picks out the rarest and most precious object--a jade earring.
The earring looks exactly like those found among artifacts from the Peinan culture. The Peinan culture is noted for its coffins made of stone, in which were placed beads, hairpins, and other precious objects. The rings come in both square and round shapes and also could be used as earrings.
Not far away in a papaya field was found a rock cot, in which the stone has been dug out as opposed to assembled, which marks it apart from the Peinan culture. The cot, measuring 180 centimeters long and 70 centimeters wide, contains a hole through which flowed the decomposed remains of the corpse. There is speculation regarding the status of the coffin occupant, but archeologists have yet to discover concrete evidence.
Anthropologists believe the rock cot to be a remnant of the Ch'ilin culture, another neolithic Taiwan culture. The Ch'ilin culture left many artifacts made of huge stones, which make it a megalith culture. Many of the megaliths were unearthed only beginning in 1978.
Prehistoric artifacts lead a precarious existence. Many are broken in the course of farming or are destroyed by those with little awareness of the articles' value. On the other hand, many that do know about their value seek them only for the price they bring in the antique market, separating them from the other artifacts and destroying the unity of the original culture.
According to official regulations, historical artifacts belong to the Ministry of Interior. However, only Ch'angpin culture so far has been classified as being eligible for this treatment. One hopes that other similarly valuable prehistoric cultures will soon receive the treatment due them.
[Picture Caption]
Liu finds in the course of farming a rock cot closely resembling those of the Peinan culture.
(Above) In a Tulan sugarcane field stands a rock that legend says is a p regnant woman who turned into stone.
(Below) A stone coffin of the Ch'ilin culture with hole to let the decomposed remains pass out.
A jade ring found by Liu akin to those of the Peinan culture. (photo by Arthur Jeng)
（Above） In a Tulan sugarcane field stands a rock that legend says is a p regnant woman who turned into stone.
（Below） A stone coffin of the Ch'ilin culture with hole to let the decomposed remains pass out.
A jade ring found by Liu akin to those of the Peinan culture. （photo by Arthur Jeng）
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