Three human skeletons and artifacts believed to be about 400 years old were unearthed by construction workers at National Ilan University. The discoveries were made on May 10 as workers were digging to expand the College of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science’s facilities. The skeletons were found at three sites, along with glass beads, copper bells and rings, discs and a fish-shaped metal knot.

Archeological relics are pictured at a construction site at the National Ilan University’s campus in Yilan City in an undated photogaph.

Photo courtesy of National Ilan University via CNA

The find is likely connected to the “Old Baili Village” (擺厘舊社, Bai Li Jiu She), an as-yet-undiscovered Kavalan settlement that has been mentioned in written and oral sources.

It is not the first time that objects of archeological value were found on the university’s campus. A trove of artifacts linked to the Shihsanhang (十 三行) settlement was discovered when ground was broken for the school in 1926, while seven skeletons, three fish-shaped metal knots and other trinkets were separately unearthed by construction workers in 2000 and 2006. The fish-shaped knots are deemed to be particularly interesting to archeologists.

NIU has great respect for the archeological sites on campus and maintains a permanent exhibition titled “Ilan Agricultural School Ruins Cultural Layer,”.

A NT$9 million social responsibility budget has been set aside by NIU to excavate and preserve the sites, adding that a museum is also being planned.

However, rising inflation has made those projects difficult to accomplish without aid from the government, NIU said, calling for public funding.