* Astronomy

Until recently, little was known about the histories and cultures of Chinese Taipei's Austronesian aborigines and, in particular, about their relationships with the island's ancient inhabitants.

Discovery of the Peinan site in southeastern Taiwan, and the associated artefacts unearthed and interpreted by archaeologists, have proved invaluable in making up some of this deficiency. To help educate visitors about the island's prehistoric past, many of the key finds are now exhibited in the National Museum of Prehistory. Located in Taitung City, a major aboriginal conurbation, the NMP also takes every opportunity to present links to today's population, and offer a window on the Austronesian-speaking peoples that cover a large part of the earth's surface from Madagascar off the coast of Africa to Easter Island in the eastern Pacific, and from New Zealand in the south to Hawaii and Taiwan in the north.

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