Archaeological study on the formation of the system controlling province and local in ancient Japan

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03156
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Archaeology
• Research Institution: Shimane University
• Principal Investigator: OHASHI YASUO 島根大学, 学術研究院人文社会科学系, 教授 (80432615)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 地方官衙 / 国府 / 郡衙 / 駅家

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we have examined the system of local governance by provincial headquarters, focusing on (1) the locations of multiple local government facilities in a local area, (2) the problem of relocation of local government offices, and (3) the formation of a group of government facilities such as provincial headquarters, local government offices and facilities for providing houses.Regarding the local governance system by provincial headquarters, this study demonstrated that the local government offices and the facilities for providing houses had been developed nationwide along with the official roads by the end of the 7th century.
It was also revealed that the government offices had been developed at important locations of transportation, the local offices had been located over the local area, and the local governance had been implemented under organic relationships by provincial headquarters after the end of the 7th century, not after the 8th century.

Free Research Field

考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本の古代国家は、中国にならい中央集権的支配の徹底を図った。その中で宮都や地方官衙は舞台装置として同時に支配の手段としての役割を果たした。律令国家が国郡制を敷き、各国に地方官衙として国府、郡衙を配置し、地方の統治にあたった。
これまで地方官衙の設置にあたっては、主に郡内における地域支配の観点が重要と理解されてきた。しかし、本研究で明らかにしたように、国府・郡衙の設置は国全体の交通大系とも深く関わるものであった。