史前臺灣的兩縊型網墜與投網技術

Grooved Stone Sinker and Cast Net of Prehistorical Taiwan

兩縊型網墜是臺灣考古遺址常見的遺物之一，這類器物的主要特徵是在長形或橢圓形的石子兩端各具有一圈刻槽。根據研究了解，它的功能是綁縛於投網的下緣，使得投網在拋擲後可以順利張開，並迅速下沉至水底以捕撈魚類。這種捕魚技術通常被運用在溪河、湖泊與淺海處，優點是可以由個人自由的操作，並且比常見的個人魚釣方法有較佳的捕獲效率。兩縊型網墜主要出現在臺灣新石器時代，而且分布區域極廣。但若檢視臺灣周邊地域的考古資料，卻發現極少有類似的器物出土，所以可以把兩縊型網墜與投網技術，看成是史前臺灣一種普遍且具特色的捕魚方式。太平洋島嶼地區今日也可見投網的使用，但根據資料所示，此可能屬晚近所傳入，在史前時代的遺址中，幾乎不見兩縊型網墜或其他資料可證明投網技術的存在。所以，關於臺灣史前居民和太平洋南島語族有否直接的移民與接觸等問題是需要再深思的。過去的相關議題如巴圖與樹皮布打棒研究，多是以臺灣出土的考古資料比擬於今日南島語族的民族誌材料，雖然有力的說明了其相關性，但尚須解釋其中的年代落差現象，這也是此類考古學類比研究需重視的問題。

The double grooved stone net sinker is one of the most frequently-seen archaeological remains from Taiwan sites, mainly neolithic. The sinker was tied to the edges of a cast net. Cast net fishing is usually applied at riversides, lagoons and the seashore. Cast-net fishing is considered as a unique fishing method, and was in widespread use within the Taiwan region. However, the line-hook method was a common fishing technique in the Taiwan peripheral area. Although cast-net fishing has also been found on the Pacific archipelagoes, it is believed this method was not introduced to these islands until much later. Besides, there were almost no double grooved stone net sinkers discovered from prehistoric sites. The research on the ”Patu” and the ”bark beater”, which is cited to support the close relationship between Taiwan's prehistory and the Austronesian's peoples, compares archaeological data with the ethnographic data of today's Austronesians. Note however, that the time gap should be taken into consideration in these kind of comparison studies.