何謂圓山文化？它的文化內涵為何？這個問題的釐清對瞭解臺灣北部這個時期的史前文化有相當重要的意義，就整個島嶼臺灣的史前文化，和其與周邊區域間的互動情形之解明，也具有相當的重要性。但是直到今日，有關圓山文化的內涵、年代及起源問題等的看法，學者間仍相當分歧，且尚未見到針對圓山文化進行較完整論述的論文或專書之出現，而絕大多數以調查或試掘報告的方式呈現，因此筆者擬結合歷年來的考古研究成果，和筆者多年來在臺北盆地進行調查、發掘工作的理解，透過層位證據、器型特徵、器物組成、聚落空間分布、碳14年代等各項考古資料，特別是筆者在圓山遺址新發現的柱洞群遺跡，對圓山遺址的圓山文化之可能聚落型態之掌握與分析，來探討圓山文化的可能內涵，期能對圓山文化的內涵釐清有所助益。根據本文的討論，可知圓山文化的基層乃是臺灣北部繼大坌坑文化、訊塘埔文化一路傳承而來的固有文化，因為圓山文化對這些新的文化要素之展現，仍是在既有的陶器、石器的製作傳統上，去發展出這些新的要素；且在臺灣北部甚或整個臺灣，並未發現有肩石器、有段石器、青銅器等器物的初始、發展、演變及沒落的一個完整的發展過程，而僅是呈片段或零星的出現。相反地，在中國東南地區或整個中國地區，可以明確看到有肩石器、有段石器、青銅器等器物的初始、發展、演變及沒落的一個完整的發展過程；且隨著中國不同地區、時期的考古文化，這些文化要素在數量、器型變化上均有相當多樣的呈現和明確的發展過程。就圓山文化上述的這些新要素在周邊地區出現的頻率、數量、多樣性、強度、持續時間長度、分布空間的廣度等看來，筆者認為圓山文化這些新要素的主要來源，乃以中國東南沿海地區為主，就如同上述一些學者們所主張者。但是，有所不同的是，筆者不認為來自中國東南沿海地區的影響，是所謂「外來族群入侵」的結果，亦非僅是單次或零星的接觸之結果，而是可能是兩地間多次接觸的結果。但在這段多次接觸的過程中，圓山文化並非全無招架之力的對外來文化全盤接受，而是基於臺北盆地固有的文化傳統，有選擇性的吸收這些外來要素，並與傳統文化進行融合之後，發展出一個臺灣北部特有的考古文化—即圓山文化，這是為什麼在臺灣周邊地區甚或全世界，找不到與圓山文化完全相同的考古文化之主因，因為圓山文化人除了持續傳承大坌坑文化、訊塘埔文化以來的文化傳統與智慧外，並擁有吸收並創新外來影響的能力，進而創造出獨樹一格的考古文化。

What is the Yuanshan Culture? What is its cultural essence? The answers to these questions are significantly important in understanding the prehistoric cultures of northern Taiwan at this period, the prehistoric cultures of Taiwan, and how they interacted with their surrounding areas. Yet, opinions are still divided between scholars regarding the essence, age, and origin of the Yuanshan Culture. Also, there has yet been a study or monograph which provides a comprehensive discussion on the Yuanshan Culture, and most studies of the Yuanshan Culture are presented in the form of investigations or trial excavation reports. Therefore, the author plans to combine the results of archeological research over the years with her understanding of the investigation and excavation of the Taipei Basin, and, through archeological data such as stratigraphic evidence, features of tool types, tool composition, tribal distribution, and carbon-14 dating, especially the remains of column-hole clusters discovered by the author, grasp and analyze the possible tribal patterns of the Yuanshan Culture at the Yuanshan Site, and discuss the possible essence of the Yuanshan Culture, with the hope that the findings could be conducive to the clarification of the essence of the Yuanshan Culture. According to the article's discussion, it can be inferred that the roots of the Yuanshan Culture is the then-existing culture which succeeded the Tapenkeng Culture and the Shuntanpu Culture in northern Taiwan, in that the new elements of the Yuanshan Culture are still based upon the then-existing manufacturing traditions of potteries and stoneware. In addition, there has been no discovery of the complete development of tools such as stoneware with shoulders, sectioned stoneware, bronze ware, which includes their origin, development, evolution, and downfall in northern Taiwan or even across Taiwan; only a meagre amount of the tools mentioned above were found at different stages. A complete development of those tools, however, could be found in southeast China or all across China. Moreover, in different regions and archeological cultures in China, these cultural elements varied in number, appeared in diverse forms, and have a clear development process. Judging from the emergence frequency, amount, diversity, strength, duration, distribution scope of the above-mentioned new elements at their surrounding areas, the author reckons that these new elements mainly came from China's southeast coast, as proposed by some of the above-mentioned scholars. Yet, the influence of China's southeast coast might be the result of multiple contacts of the two places, rather than an ＂invasion of foreign groups＂, a single contact, or a few contacts. The Yuanshan Culture, instead of simply succumbing to foreign cultures, selectively absorbed foreign elements based upon the then-existing cultural traditions of the Taipei Basin, and, after mixing them with traditional cultures, developed a unique archeological culture in northern Taiwan, which is known as the Yuanshan Culture. This is the main reason why there has been no identical culture at the surrounding areas of Taiwan or even around the world. The people of the Yuanshan Culture, aside from succeeding the cultural traditions and wisdoms of the Tapenkeng Culture and the Shuntanpu Culture, were capable of absorbing foreign influences and innovating, thereby fostering a unique archeological culture.