ABSTRACT
Hong Kong is part of the Zhujiang Delta on the southeastern coast of the Guangdong province, which has been populated since prehistoric times. The region is rich in the archaeolog ical remains of prehistoric settlements, mostly along the shores of the islands and near the Tuen Mun River. Excava tions indicate three phases in the region's prehistory. Coarse, cord-marked artifacts indicate settlement during the Middle Neolithic period (around 3000 B.C.). The Late Neolithic period (2500-1500 B.C.) is represented in local finds by finer decorated pottery and polished stone tools. Pottery decorated with stamped geometric designs derives from the period beginning around 1500 B.C. Many scholars see a close link between the prehistoric culture of this region and the northern Stone Age culture of Longshan and the bronze motifs of the Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.) of ancient China.
