IC suggests preserving Coloane archaeological site

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) unveiled the latest findings from its archaeological excavation site in Coloane village to the Cultural Heritage Committee yesterday. Citing suggestions from experts, the bureau indicated that the high-value areas should be preserved in situ, while the rest needs further excavation based on the possible distribution of relics.
The IC has carried out two phases of archaeological excavation at the site located in Rua do Estaleiro over the past year. After digging into a parking lot, a football pitch and a recreation area, the bureau’s joint archaeological team, with experts from Hong Kong and the mainland, discovered rich archaeological remains and relics from four different ancient periods: the late Neolithic Age; the late Bronze Age; the Tang and Song dynasties; and the middle-to-late Qing dynasty.
The bureau has also reinforced protection of the unearthed ruins through back-filling work. According to the experts’ reports into the excavation project, the entire section of the road has been divided into different areas that are categorized by their level of archaeological value. While preserving the areas with high-heritage value, experts suggested that the bureau not only learn about the distribution of relics in the entire road section transversely, but also choose potential areas for deeper digging, in order to learn about the site’s layers of cultures.