2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Investigation on Evaluation Methods for the Significance of the Early and Middle Paleolithic Sites
| Project/Area Number |
13800009
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Special Purposes
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Institution | Meiji University |
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Principal Investigator |
YAJIMA Kunio Meiji Univ., School of Arts and letters, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (70130838)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ONO Akira Tokyo Metropolitan University, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Professor, 人文学部, 教授 (70000502)
HARUNARI Hideji National Museum of History and Folklore, Professor, 教授 (20032708)
KOBAYASHI Tatsuo Kokugakuin University, Faculty of letters, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (70119048)
MATSUFUJI Kazuto Doshisha University, Faculty of letters, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (90288598)
SHIRAISHI Hiroyuki Aichi-Gakuin University, Faculty of letters, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (50329596)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
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| Keywords | forged Paleolithic / Early Paleolithic / Middle Paleolithic / Late Paleolithic / lithic typology / sedimentary point of view of cultural layers / cooperation with Quaternary studies / Zazaragi site |
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| Research Abstract |
We carried out investigative researches co-operative with several local governments, universities and local archaeological study groups on about the sites and artifacts that had the doubts of forgery by Fujimura from 2001 to 2004. The results of those investigations made clear that 168 Paleolithic sites which had found and/or excavated by Fujimura and his colleagues were forged. Especially, it was important that those forgeries were revealed at the Zazaragi site which have appointed the National Historic Site.
We have developed investigative methods how to make clear the artifacts are forged or not, and also the sites are forted or not. In case of the artifacts, we have checked fresh scars, iron oxide striae, black soils on the lithic surface, rubbed ridges and edges of the lithics, and lithic production techniques. Re-examination of all lithic artifacts had found by Fujimura in previous excavations and his private collection has revealed that they retain suspicious traces in high propo
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rtions. These results proved that he had continued to forge Paleolithic sites for more than quarter of century since 1972 when he had became interested in the Paleolithic archaeology. Our investigative excavations have revealed that Fujimura's handiwork of forgery and his implements had used for the planting lithic artifacts were not so complex. Therefore, it is possible to detect traces of forgery by carefully checking the features of soil beneath artifacts. And all the anthropogenic features such as post-holes and pits which had been reported in previous excavations proved to be misidentification of spotty soil alteration or soil color alteration produced under natural agency. Thus, we must identify anthropogenic features by close cooperation with geologists. Based on the experience obtained through the series of investigative researches, we must undertake research of Paleolithic sites, with special attention to such questions as whether there is any suspicious circumstances on artifacts uncovered and their occurrence in the archaeological context, whether uncovered artifacts fill requirements to be part of the sediments in which they are contained, or whether there is any contradiction on the occurrence of artifacts in the depositional environment. In order to allow such an approach as well as in approving a new discovery, it is necessary to develop further cooperation with fields of Quaternary studies. Less
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