Studies of radiocarbon dating using the micro-fibers remained on the surface of phytolith

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K18513
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: History, Archaeology, Museology, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki
• Principal Investigator: Udatsu Tetsuro 宮崎大学, 農学部, 教授 (00253807)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中村 俊夫 名古屋大学, 宇宙地球環境研究所, 招へい教員 (10135387)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 年代測定 / 生産遺構 / 加速器質量分析法 / 微細繊維 / プラント・オパール

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we worked on the development of analytical technology to determine the age of production remains by measuring the C14 dating of the organic fibers remaining on the surface of phytoliths. Phytolith is glassy cell fossils of gramineous plants that have been used for archaeological exploration of production remains such as paddy fields and fields.
As a result of examining the method of extracting phytoliths from various paddy soils with different regions, times and sedimentary environments and the dating result of them, if 100g of soil (field sampling weight) is secured, the dating can be reliably performed. Revealed what you can do. There is still a problem regarding measurement accuracy, but we have a prospect that it can be solved by increasing the ratio of rice phytolith. From the above results, it can be evaluated that the analytical method was almost constructed.

Free Research Field

地域農学および農業技術史学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、稲作起源とその変遷に関する研究における「生産遺構の年代決定の限界」という研究手法上の問題を解消し、当該研究分野のデータを時代と空間で整理して、俯瞰を可能とする分析手法の確立に具体的な道筋をつけたと言えよう。
現在、中国をはじめ、稲作起源に関する新しい発見が報告されており、当該研究の成果は、こうした成果を東アジア全体で同様に整理・俯瞰することにも寄与し得るものであり、その学術的意義は大きい。