New Taipei City Shihsanheng Museum of Archaeology Introduction
Located in Bali, the Shisanhang Museum of Archaeology is Taiwan's first archaeological museum, established to protect the national second-class monument, the Shisanhang Site. In 1955, an Air Force plane flying over Bali encountered magnetic anomalies on its compass, leading to the discovery of the Shisanhang Site. Subsequently, geologists and archaeologists came to explore and found that this area was a prehistoric site, leading to the establishment of the museum. The Shisanhang culture dates back to the Iron Age in northern Taiwan and is currently the only confirmed prehistoric community in Taiwan with iron smelting technology. Not only is it the only archaeological museum in northern Taiwan, but it is also the first museum in New Taipei City to receive certification as an environmental education venue. The museum features three different styles of architectural groups, constructing a complete concept that expresses the imagery of mountains and the sea, as well as the past and the present, using authentic materials such as fair-faced concrete, sandstone, and aged metal plates. The museum has permanent exhibitions of important artifacts uncovered from the site, special exhibition halls, and archaeological learning experience rooms, providing detailed information about the Shisanhang culture, the Yuan Mountain culture, and other historical relics and backgrounds in Taiwan. Over a thousand years ago, the residents on the left bank of the Tamsui River lived in stilt houses and used human-faced clay pots. It is said that the cannibalistic indigenous tribes once engaged in activities to hunt, gradually substituting such ritual items instead. Their daily diet consisted of fish, shrimp, and shellfish from the sea. Their way of life may not be imaginable to us today, but the Shisanhang Museum offers a glimpse into it. The museum provides a rich and engaging way to present the Shisanhang culture discovered at the site, allowing us to understand what life was like for the Shisanhang people a thousand years ago. Additionally, it regularly hosts special exhibitions that sometimes introduce the historical trajectory of the development of the Tamsui River, while other times including scientifically educational archaeological explorations, allowing visitors to gain rich knowledge while being entertained and inspiring children's interest in history.
