The Importance of Underwater Archaeology in the Development of a Taiwanese Identity - A case study on the Green Island 1
Dublin Core
Title
The Importance of Underwater Archaeology in the Development of a Taiwanese Identity - A case study on the Green Island 1
Description
In 2014 the Green Island 1 became one of the first wrecks to be excavated by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage in Taiwan, two years after the establishment of the Underwater Heritage Department, and one year before the implementation of the Underwater Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. The wreck is likely a British brig from the second half of the 19th century (preliminary conclusion, may be subject to change), yet the research into this wreck should be viewed in relation to the development of both the field of underwater archaeology and the grander Taiwanese identity in general.
Taiwan did not truly form a unified state until after a 400 year long history of colonization, and at the moment it still has a tense political position in relation to the People’s Republic of China. The Taiwanese government is eager to use archaeological material to establish a substantial base to construct a Taiwanese history independent of that of mainland China, which can be seen in the attempts to expand the underwater heritage field. The various historical stages produce the image of Taiwanese people as a melting pot of different ethnicities, including the aboriginal people of Taiwan, the early settlers from the mainland, and different colonial powers who had taken possession of the island since the 17th century, as opposed to mainland China that had been under a much more isolated regime.
Maritime activity was an essential, and unavoidable, element in this international exchange, and historical documents show a high potential for archaeological sites throughout Taiwanese waters. The Green Island 1 is one of the example of such exchange, but as the field will continue to develop we are sure to form a picture of Taiwan as a unique meeting point of cultures in the Pacific.
Taiwan did not truly form a unified state until after a 400 year long history of colonization, and at the moment it still has a tense political position in relation to the People’s Republic of China. The Taiwanese government is eager to use archaeological material to establish a substantial base to construct a Taiwanese history independent of that of mainland China, which can be seen in the attempts to expand the underwater heritage field. The various historical stages produce the image of Taiwanese people as a melting pot of different ethnicities, including the aboriginal people of Taiwan, the early settlers from the mainland, and different colonial powers who had taken possession of the island since the 17th century, as opposed to mainland China that had been under a much more isolated regime.
Maritime activity was an essential, and unavoidable, element in this international exchange, and historical documents show a high potential for archaeological sites throughout Taiwanese waters. The Green Island 1 is one of the example of such exchange, but as the field will continue to develop we are sure to form a picture of Taiwan as a unique meeting point of cultures in the Pacific.
Creator
Sterre Klaver
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
November 2021
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Klaver, Sterre. 2021. “The Importance of Underwater Archaeology in the Development of a Taiwanese Identity - A
case study on the Green Island 1.” Edited by Brian Fahy, Hans Van Tilburg, Bill Jeffery, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Riley
Smith. In Proceedings of Fourth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Keelung,Taiwan,
and Virtual, November 1-5, 2021. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology URL:
https://apconf-much.org/proceedings/exhibits/show/apconf-muchproceedings/item/672
case study on the Green Island 1.” Edited by Brian Fahy, Hans Van Tilburg, Bill Jeffery, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Riley
Smith. In Proceedings of Fourth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Keelung,Taiwan,
and Virtual, November 1-5, 2021. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology URL:
https://apconf-much.org/proceedings/exhibits/show/apconf-muchproceedings/item/672
Rights Holder
Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage
Files
Citation
Sterre Klaver, “The Importance of Underwater Archaeology in the Development of a Taiwanese Identity - A case study on the Green Island 1,” APCONF-MUCH Proceedings Recently Added Items, accessed October 24, 2026, https://apconf-much.org/proceedings/items/show/672.