Discovery
The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) received a
citizen's report on 7 May 2004 that relics were found
at the works site at the junction of Soy Street and Tung
Choi Street. Hence, staff of AMO rushed to site to inspect
what were discovered.
With the assistance rendered by the consultant
and contractors of the Drainage Service Department (DSD),
the staff of AMO reconstructed how the relics were found
in the trench and investigated the soil and layers that
might have relics. The original landscape of the site
had been changed drastically, and frequent disturbances
caused by recent urban development were shown. The trench
is now full of pipes and piles. The relics might be deposited
in a brownish sandy layer, between the modern disturbed
layer and the greyish sand of marine deposit. Four flat-bottomed
pottery pots were found on that day.
On 10 May, the staff of AMO monitored the
works and noticed other relics in the trench. At the request
of the AMO, the DSD and its contractor suspended the works
and immediately provided assistance in clearing the soil.
Over 100 pieces of objects were collected in this operation,
including a broken pot, fragments of pottery cauldron,
kiln debris and associated furniture, various ceramic
sherds and green bricks. Since there was no further discovery,
the site was returned to the DSD on 11 May 2004 (4 pm).
Important Relics
The important relics collected from the site include pottery
pots, fragments of pottery cauldron, kiln debris and associated
furniture. There are five pottery pots, of which four
are complete and attributed to Jin dynasty (AD 265 - 420).
Completeness of pottery pots implies they might be burial
objects. Fragments of pottery cauldron are one rim and
two body sherds which could be dated back to Han dynasty
(206 BC - AD 220). About 121 pieces of kiln debris and
furniture might be the remains of Tang dynasty (AD 618
- 907).