Broad-spectrum fishing and small fish use in Late Neolithic Taiwan: New insights from otolith-based analysis

Small-bodied fish species (≤15 cm in total length) are ecologically and culturally important in modern coastal ecosystems and nearshore fisheries yet remain largely invisible in the archaeological record due to methodological and interpretive limitations. This study addresses this gap by applying a fine-resolution analytical framework—combining fine-sieving (0.5–2.0 mm) and otolith identification—to bulk sediment samples (116.3 kg) from the Hepingdao B site (3300 BP–present) in northern Taiwan. A total of 377 otoliths were recovered, representing 47 taxa across 25 families. Dominant taxa include reef-associated species such as cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), gobies (Gobiidae), and damselfishes (Pomacentridae). Comparative analysis with ethnographic data demonstrates significant taxonomic overlap with Indigenous fisheries in Taiwan, shedding light on similar maritime adaptations. Our study reports 13 fish families and multiple genera not previously recorded in Taiwan's prehistoric archaeological assemblages, significantly expanding the known taxonomic breadth of early Austronesian fishing practices. These findings underscore the value of fine-sieving and otolith analysis for recovering previously unrecognized components of coastal subsistence strategies. More broadly, our results provide new evidence for a prehistoric multi-species fishery centered on small-bodied taxa and highlight methodological pathways for integrating zooarchaeological, ichthyological, and ethnographic data to reconstruct the previously hidden aspects of prehistoric maritime subsistence and challenge longstanding biases in zooarchaeological interpretation. • Small fish taxa dominate 377 otoliths recovered from 116.3 kg of archaeological sediment using otolith-based analysis. • Highlights the role of finer mesh sizes (≥0.5 mm) in recovering micro-ichthyofauna previously overlooked. • Offers a replicable analytical framework to integrate small-bodied fish into future zooarchaeological studies. • Comparative analysis shows notable overlap between the Late Neolithic (2800-3300 BP) assemblage with modern Indigenous fisheries. • Provides the first evidence of human interaction with diurnal mesopelagic fish (Myctophidae) in Taiwanese archaeology.