A multi-disciplinary approach to understanding Hong Kong's past: bioanthropological, biomolecular, and zooarchaeological methods

Abstract

<p>The past of Hong Kong has been extensively explored through close to a century’s systematic archaeological surveying, investigations, and excavations. These efforts mostly included landscape, artefactual, and rescue archaeology. This article highlights the potential of a largely underutilized subfield of archaeology in Hong Kong: archaeological science. Focusing on three main areas of archaeological science: bioanthropology, bio-molecular archaeology, and zooarchaeology, the main objective of this paper is threefold: 1) to provide an overview of recent developments in bioarchaeological techniques; 2) to showcase successful applications of bioarchaeological techniques in deriving archaeological information in the region’s past; and lastly, 3) to provide a roadmap for future archaeological research in Hong Kong. We hope that this review will help to promote the use of archaeological science in Hong Kong, and enrich the current archaeological and historical narratives we can tell.</p>

近一個世紀以來，考古學家透過嚴謹而有系統的調查和發掘方法，在香港發現無數考古遺址，揭露了香港自史前時期便是古人類繁衍生息的重要地區。可是，過往的考古研究主要集中在括景觀、文物範疇，以及搶救性考古，惟忽略科技考古的應用。本文主要介紹科技考古學的其中三個領域：生物人類學、生物分子考古學、和動物考古學。我們主要有三個目標：1) 概述科技考古學的最新發展； 2) 展示以上三個研究領域在本港以及鄰近地區的實踐和案例；最後，3) 香港未來的考古研究提供發展路線圖。我們希望這篇文章可以推動科技考古學在香港的應用，以豐富我們目前對香港遠古史的認知。