Construction of Material Profiles on Traditional Stone Drugs through Multidisciplinary and Museological Research

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05900
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Sociology/History of science and technology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: ITO KEN 大阪大学, 総合学術博物館, 特任講師(常勤) (00619281)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 本草学 / 生薬学 / フィールドワーク / 石薬 / 化石 / 鉱物 / 博物学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Over a period of three years, I conducted vigorous research on Japanese, and foreign sekiyaku (stone drugs), conducting material profiling, and performing continuous investigation on their origins. The scope of this research also included sekiyaku used in fields outside medicine, like metallurgy, and the discoveries were published and publicized, through academic papers and scientific lectures, as well as exhibitions. The discoveries made in the course of this research were published in three papers, along with twelve lectures made in, and out of Japan. The research also received wide coverage by numerous newspapers and TV network, including a front page article on the Sankei Shimbun (May 19 2017, evening edition). Furthermore, the results were publicized in two exhibitions (2017, 2018), and one publication (2019).

Free Research Field

本草博物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

当初の計画にあった医療用としての石薬研究のみならず、冶金やその他の用途に用いる石薬についての研究・調査もも実施できたことは特筆に値する。加えて、研究成果を、論文や学術講演の形だけでなく、「世界遺産登録10周年記念　石見銀山展～銀が世界を変えた～」（石見銀山資料館および島根県立古代出雲歴史博物館、2017年）および「The Mineral World～人と鉱物のつむぐ物語～」（大阪大学総合学術博物館、2018年）の計2回の展覧会において、研究成果のアウトリーチを実施し、社会に発信することができたことについて、社会的意義は大きいと考えている。