New development of geoarchaeological cave study by advanced chemical analyses of stalagmites and fossil snails

• Project/Area Number: 18K18522
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 3:History, archaeology, museology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Asami Ryuji 東北大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (00400242)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 洞穴遺跡 / 鍾乳石 / 貝化石 / 化学分析 / 琉球列島 / 最終氷期 / 歴史気候学 / 更新世 / 完新世

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research is to develop a new geoarchaeological study using advanced methods of chemical analyses, regardless of conventional academic frameworks. We carried out a periodic field survey and chemical analyses of the excavated fossil land snails and the stalagmites in the limestone cave on the main island of Okinawa, Japan. As a result, high-resolution climate records during the time when prehistoric people lived there were successfully reconstructed. Consequently, it was found that the seasonal temperature variation in Okinawa around the last glacial period (about 23,000 years ago) was different from the present and the annual average of temperature was 6-to-7 °C lower than today.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で展開した洞穴遺跡研究の新しいアプローチは，日本各地の遺跡研究へ適用することで，旧石器時代の人類史研究を深化させる可能性がある．また，本研究で挑戦した文理融合研究は，今後の人類史研究とその体系を大きく革新させる可能性があり，考古学や地質学，災害学，気象学などを含めた多様な研究テーマを生む．人類の洞窟利用は気候変動や自然災害，植生変化と関連することから，学術・社会面双方に対して意義がある．

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] National Taiwan University(その他の国・地域)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ETH Zurich(スイス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Fujian Normal University(中国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Pisa/Universita degli Studi di Torino(イタリア)
• [Int'l Joint Research] CNRS, CEPAM/CNRS, OCA, IRD/MNHN Paris, CNRS(フランス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] National Taiwan University(その他の国・地域)
• [Int'l Joint Research] CNRS, CEPAM/CNRS, OCA, IRD/MNHN Paris, CNRS(フランス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Pisa/Universita degli Studi di Torino(イタリア)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Southern Univ of Sci and Tech, Guangdong(中国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] National Taiwan University(台湾)
• [Journal Article] High‐Resolution Evidence for Middle Holocene East Asian Winter and Summer Monsoon Variations: Snapshots of Fossil Coral Records (2020)
  • Author(s): Asami Ryuji、Yoshimura Natsumi、Toriyabe Hiroto、Minei Shogo、Shinjo Ryuichi、Hongo Chuki、Sakamaki Takashi、Fujita Kazuhiko
  • Journal Title: Geophysical Research Letters Volume: 47 Issue: 16
  • DOI: 10.1029/2020gl088509
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Evaluation of geochemical records as a paleoenvironmental proxy in the hypercalcified demosponge Astrosclera willeyana (2020)
  • Author(s): Ryuji ASAMI*, A. Kinjo, D. Ohshiro, T. Naruse, M. Mizuyama, R. Uemura, R. Shinjo, Y. Ise, Y. Fujita, and T. Sakamaki
  • Journal Title: Progress in Earth and Planetary Science Volume: － Issue: 1 Pages: 15-15
  • DOI: 10.1186/s40645-020-00329-z
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] arbon and oxygen isotope records of Tridacna squamosa shells from two different latitudes in the Ryukyu Islands. (2020)
  • Author(s): Kodama, S., Takayanagi, H., Yoshii, K., Ha, T.T.N, Asami, R., Abe, O. and Iryu, Y.
  • Journal Title: Paleontological Research Volume: - Issue: 2 Pages: 79-92
  • DOI: 10.2517/2020pr003
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A stalagmite-inferred hydroclimate record over the past 1200 years in a western Pacific island (2020)
  • Author(s): Ryu UEMURA, Ryuji ASAMI, Mahjoor A. LONE, Yu-Chen CHOU, Chuan-Chou Shen
  • Organizer: AGU Fall Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Speleothem as archive of past volcanism: Impact of Kikai volcano eruption (7.3 ka) on a remote oceanic island (2020)
  • Author(s): K. Tanaka, T. Miki, N. Takahata, R. Uemura, Ryuji ASAMI, T.-L. Yu, C.-C. Shen, K. Shirai, N. Murakami-Sugihara, K. Toyama, Y. Sano
  • Organizer: Goldschmidt
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 最終氷期GI-21における南大東島の鍾乳石の酸素同位体比変動 (2020)
  • Author(s): 植村立・浅海竜司・阿部理・Shufang YUAN・Xianfeng WANG
  • Organizer: 日本地球化学会
• [Presentation] Northern Mediterranean precipitation variation and orbital forcing on westerlies over the past 250-400 thousand years ago (2019)
  • Author(s): Wen-Hui Sung, Hsun-Ming Hu, Akihiro Kano, Ryuji ASAMI, Yasufumi Iryu, Hideko Takayanagi, Horng-Sheng Mii, Veronique Michel, Patricia Valensi, Zunino Marta, Starnini Elisabetta, Yu-Min Chou, Hsien-Chen Tsai, Wei-Yi Chien, Tsai-Luen Yu, Chuan-Chou Shen
  • Organizer: AGU Fall Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Speleothem-inferred paleoclimate records at 620-450 thousand years ago from northern Mediterranean (2019)
  • Author(s): Wei-Yi Chien, Hsun-Ming Hu, Ryuji ASAMI, Akihiro Kano, Horng-Sheng Mii, Veronique Michel, Patricia Valensi, Elisabetta Starnini, Yu-Min Chou, Yasufumi Iryu, Hideko Takayanagi, Hsien-Chen Tsai, Sung Wen-Hui, Tsai-Luen Yu, Chuan-Chou Shen
  • Organizer: AGU Fall Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Speleothem-inferred sea-level rise during marine isotope stage 11 (2019)
  • Author(s): Hsun-Ming Hu, Chuan-Chou Shen, Veronique Michel, Patricia Valensi, Akihiro Kano, Ryuji ASAMI, Yu-Min Chou, Hsien-Chen Tsai, Sung Wen-Hui, Wei-Yi Chien, Tsai-Luen Yu, Horng-Sheng Mii, Yasufumi Iryu, Hideko Takaynagi
  • Organizer: AGU Fall Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A stalagmite-inferred hydroclimate record over the past 1400 years in Okinawa, Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): R. Uemura, Ryuji ASAMI, M. A. Lone, Y.-C. Chou and C.-C. Shen
  • Organizer: 16th Annual Meeting Asia Oceania Geosciences Society
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 硬骨海綿の化学分析による海洋環境の長期時系列解析 (2019)
  • Author(s): 浅海竜司・松森建人・石原信司・金城章・大城大輝・成瀬貫・水山克・植村立・新城竜一・伊勢優史・藤田喜久・坂巻隆史
  • Organizer: 日本サンゴ礁学会
• [Presentation] Trace element concentrations of sub-tropical modern brachiopod Basiliola lucida collected off Okinawa-jima, Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): H. Takayanagi, T. Tochigi, Ryuji ASAMI, R. Shinjo, T. Itaki, Y. Iryu
  • Organizer: 日本地球惑星科学連合大会
• [Presentation] Reconstruction of sea surface temperature and salinity for the Medieval Climate Anomaly using a long-lived fossil coral collected at Ishigaki Island, southwestern Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): O. Abe, M. Morimto, Ryuji ASAMI, T. Nakatsuka
  • Organizer: 日本地球惑星科学連合大会
• [Presentation] Evaluation of geochemistry in hypercalcified demosponges as a paleoceanographic proxy (2019)
  • Author(s): Ryuji ASAMI, T. Naruse, M. Mizuyama, R. Uemura, R. Shinjo, Y. Ise, Y. Fujita, T. Sakamaki
  • Organizer: 日本地球惑星科学連合大会
• [Presentation] 沖縄島洞穴遺跡産の淡水棲貝化石および鍾乳石による更新世後期の古気温復元 (2019)
  • Author(s): 浅海竜司・本堂陸斗・植村立・新城竜一・狩野彰宏・藤田祐樹・山崎真治・高柳栄子・井龍康文
  • Organizer: 日本地球惑星科学連合大会
• [Presentation] 沖縄島洞穴遺跡産の淡水棲貝化石および鍾乳石による更新世後期の古環境復元 (2019)
  • Author(s): 本堂陸斗・浅海竜司・植村立・新城竜一・狩野彰宏・藤田祐樹・山崎真治・高柳栄子・井龍康文
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会168回例会
• [Presentation] ヒレジャコの殻の酸素同位体組成を用いた海水温復元の信頼性および問題点 (2018)
  • Author(s): 小玉智之・高柳栄子・浅海竜司・阿部理・井龍康文
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会2018年年会
• [Presentation] Holocene climate records in stalagmites from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan (2018)
  • Author(s): 浅海竜司・赤嶺裕二・植村立・井龍康文・C.-C. Shen
  • Organizer: 日本地球惑星科学連合大会
• [Remarks] 東北大学大学院理学研究科地学専攻地圏進化学講座 炭酸塩堆積学・地球化学グループ
  • URL: http://dges.es.tohoku.ac.jp/iryulab/