Cultural contact in the formation period of Ainu culture - Satsumon culture and Okhotsk culture -

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03505
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Archaeology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: KUMAKI Toshiaki 東京大学, 大学院人文社会系研究科(文学部), 教授 (20282543)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 福田 正宏 九州大学, 人文科学研究院, 准教授 (20431877)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 考古学 / 擦文文化 / オホーツク文化 / アイヌ文化 / 北海道

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to elucidate the background of the social changes that occurred during the middle period of the Satsuma culture (around the end of the 9th century), which is considered to be a epoch in the history of the formation of the Ainu culture, we conducted excavations of the settlement of the Satsumon culture at the Oshima 2 site in Kitami City. As a result of the excavation, traces of pit dwelling abandonment rituals were frequently found at the site. On the other hand, the influence of the Okhotsk culture, which has been assumed to be the cause of the peculiarity, was confirmed in the selection of building materials and other aspects. Thus, this study shows that it is necessary to estimate the influence of the Okhotsk culture on social changes during the middle period of the Satsumon culture more than before.

Free Research Field

考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、擦文文化後半期の集落遺跡の発掘調査を通じて、当該期における居住形態や儀礼の具体像を明らかにし、その系譜について検討した。近年の日本史学では、日本列島の北方史における転換点が古代から中世への移行期にあることが指摘されているが、本研究ではアイヌ文化の成立直前期に相当する擦文文化後半期における居住形態や精神文化の分析を通じて、この転換点における社会変動や、オホーツク文化など周辺社会との交流の内容を明らかにした。これは考古学のみならず、古代から中世の日本列島を含めた東北アジア全体の歴史研究に資する成果と言える。