An artifact, believed to be a sacred fish-shaped metal ornament unique to Taiwan's Indigenous Kavalan people, has been found at an excavation site at National Ilan University (NIU), according to the Yilan County's Cultural Affairs Bureau on Saturday.

The discovery was made recently as workers excavated a site during the construction of NIU's College of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science's new facilities, the bureau said in a statement.

This finding, which represents a unique cultural relic of Taiwan's Indigenous Kavalan people, will need to be closely examined for its archeological value, and whether or not it is an authentic fish-shaped ornament, it said.

According to the National Cultural Heritage Database Management System, such fish-shaped ornaments were historically an invaluable item for the wealthy, and are now only found in tombs.

The fish-shaped ornament, made from thin metal threads, was cherished by the Kavalan people and was worn on the chest or forehead, the bureau said.

To date, only six fish-shaped ornaments have been unearthed in Taiwan, and all of them were found in Yilan, it added.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel