高砂族の物質文化(<特集>台湾研究)

抄録

The Formosan aborigines are distributed over the mountain regions and the eastern plain, covering as a whole about a half of this island. Their mountain habitat ranges from 500 to 1, 500 metres or even more above the sea-level. Separated by deep valleys and steep cliffs, the intercourse even between their villages are often very troublesome. Such a topographical situation has contributed much to the preservation of their aboriginal culture along with its noteworthy diversities between tribes. The house structure is different between tribes or ethnic groups. The Paiwan, Rukai and the Bunun construct the wall and roof not infrequently with slate, and the Atayal and Saisiat with bamboo. The thatched roof is found among the Tsou and the southern Paiwan. In the mountain regions, especially among the Atayal, there are found not rarely the subterranean house-plan. And, in connection with the joint-family system of the Pangtsah (Ami) and Bunun, their houses are generally of larger size, sometimes large enough to contain fifty or so of family-members. In the northern and the southern tribes, the granary of each house is built very high above the ground, and the top of the floor pillar is often inset in a fairly large round board, wooden or stone, in order to prevent the intrusion of rats. Among the Pangtsah, Puyuma, Rukai, Tsou and a part of the Paiwan, each village has or had a men's house, and the Rukai and Paiwan adorn this house with sculptures and relief works. The men's house functions as a political center of the village where the village council is held, and here the grown-up boys and adults without consort spend night. The clothing of the Formosan aborigines differs greatly between tribes, strictly speaking even between villages. The weaving technique, which had once attained presumably the highest peak of its development among the Atayal and some sinicized west-plain tribes, is now fallen into decay among most tribes, except the Atayal. The Atayal women sew occasionally small shell beads all over clothes. "Shell clothes" are weared in ceremonial occasions, and in former days, were used also for money. The trousers in the strict sence of the word are not used in Formosa, whereas the loin-cloth and skirt are found all over this island, and the surplice is weared by both sexes. The women of the Paiwan and Rukai wear necklace of multicolored glass beads, which have been inherited from remote ancestors. The Yami prize silver highly, and they cast it into mould and make ornaments for ear, arm, or breast, and the helmet which are their treasure. Wood carving is carried out among the Paiwan, Rukai and Puyuma. They carve wooden figures, relief works and vessels. The Yami construct plankboat adorned with carving. Their weapons are gun, bow, spear and sword. The fire-arm had been obtained from the Chinese traders or smugglers, but the aboriginal black-smiths produce sometimes rough ones. The blow-pipe, club and arrow-poison are not used utterly in Formosa. The bronze seems not to have been used widely, but mainly among the southern tribes there are found occasionally bronze-made handle of small sword which the medicine-men keep still now. Earthen-wares are found among the Bunun, Tsou, Pangtsah, Rukai, Paiwan and Yami. The Pangtsah, Yami and (till recent times) the Bunun make pottery but the Rukai and Paiwan do not know or have forgotten the technique. The earthern-wares of the Paiwan and Rukai are said to have been a h eritage from immemorial times and are evaluated as treasures. The stone implements are found nearly all over this island. Though the relation between these artifacts and the present-day aborigines is not fully manifest, it is certain that stone implements are used for hoe and chisel in several parts of Formosa until relatively recent times.