Construction of a tree-ring chronology and the implication of wood species analysis on wooden outer coffin & wooden coffin in Han Dynasty

• Project/Area Number: 25282077
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural assets study and museology
• Research Institution: Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
• Principal Investigator: MITSUTANI Takumi 独立行政法人国立文化財機構奈良文化財研究所, 埋蔵文化財センター, 客員研究員 (90099961)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 伊東 隆夫 独立行政法人国立文化財機構奈良文化財研究所, 埋蔵文化財センター, 客員研究員 (70027168)
• Research Collaborator: OKOCHI takayuki ; HOSHINO yasuharu ; FUKASAWA yoshiki ; KATO shinji ; IMAI kouki
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,960,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥5,980,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,380,000)
• Keywords: 年輪年代学 / 漢代 / 漢墓 / 木槨墓 / コウヨウザン / 楠木 / コウヨウザ / 木槨・木棺材 / 不連続年輪 / 年代測定法 / 木棺 / 樹種同定 / 木槨 / Phoebe属 / 年代測定 / ナンムウ / 国際研究者交流（中国、南京大学）

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Main tree species used for wooden outer coffin & wooden coffin from the Han Dynasty was identified as Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate H.) A tree-ring pattern of this species was examined, and the result indicated that dendrochronological analysis based on the ring pattern was applicable for the study of the wooden outer coffin & wooden coffin. The tree-ring pattern with unknown calendar years was crossdated with 10 highly correlated samples, and a chronology of 564 years was successfully developed. The result of the 14C wiggle-match dating method conducted on one of the samples showed that the 564 years fell between B.C.6C and A.D.1C. In the future, it is considered that this constructed chronology would be helpful for dating the wooden outer coffin & wooden coffin from the Han Dynasty.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

漢代出土木槨・木棺材の主要樹種であるコウヨウザンの年輪を用いて年代測定の基準となる年輪パターンを564年間分（B.C.6世紀～A.D.1世紀）作成したことにより、前漢、後漢の木槨墓や木棺墓に使用されている木材の年代を明らかにすることが可能となった。この基準パターンを使って得られる成果は土器やその他の共伴遺物の編年研究に大きく貢献できる。かつ、その成果は中国国内ばかりでなく、わが国の弥生時代・古墳時代の年代観にも大きな影響を与えることになり、その意義は極めて大きい。