2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Collaborative Research on Cut Injuries and the Agents in Ancient Human Skeletons
| Project/Area Number |
15370100
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Anthropology
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
KATAYAMA Kazumichi Kyoto University, Graduate School of Science, Professor, 大学院・理学研究科, 教授 (70097921)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
INOUE Takao Tottori University, Department of Medicine, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (20116312)
FUKASAWA Yoshiki Nara Institute for Cultural Properties, Department of Heijo-Kyo Research, Senior Investigator, 平城京発掘調査部, 主任研究官 (40156740)
NAGAO Masataka Nagoya-City University, Graduate School of Medicine, Professor, 大学院・医学研究科, 教授 (80227991)
HONGO Hitomi Kyoto University, Primate Research Institute, Assistant Professor, 霊長類研究所, 助手 (20303919)
KUNIMATSU Yutaka Kyoto University, Primate Research Institute, Assistant Professor, 霊長類研究所, 助手 (80243111)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | Ancient Human Skeletons / Bone injuries / Ancient Weapons / Osteoarchaeoloy / Experimental Archaeoloy / Shibu-Site / Aoya-Kamijichi Site / Yayoi Period |
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| Research Abstract |
In the present research, especially human skeletons with cut injuries from the Yayoi period, possible skeletons killed in homicide cases, have been macro-anatomically investigated in detail, and the actual states and situations of those injuries have been comparatively analysed among the Yayoi skeletons unearthed at the Shibu site, Nara Prefecture, at the Aoya-Kamijichi site, Tottori Prefecture, and at the Shinpo site, Kobe City, and with homicidal injuries in forensic anatomy cases. At the same time, using the realistic replicas of many kinds of stone- and bronze-weapons found at archaeological sites from the Yayoi period, experiments to make injuries on the fresh bones of Japanese monkeys and pigs have been repeated at the laboratory. We have tried to identify the causative relations between bone injuries and weapons to be used, referring injuries on ancient human bones to those on modern animal bones. As the result of the bone injury model becoming more elaborate and realistic, we have reached to an authentic methodology of discriminating if homicide cases or not, and probable weapons as well with the Yayoi human skeletons. This is one of the most remarkable results in the present study. Furthermore, we have found it useful to classify ancient bone injuries into four categories, that is, stabbing, cutting, shooting and damaging. Anyway, it should be very significant that through this collaborative research, we have become able to understand the nature of ancient bone injuries and the possible/probable causative agents of such injuries with the Yayoi human skeletons in Japan. Thus we can say that a step to investigate substantially into the so-called ‘Wakoku-no-Tairan' (Great War Affairs) in the late-Yayoi period, has now materialized.
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