Establishment of a method for estimating the iron sand source of Tatara Iron Making using an integrated approach of humanities and sciences

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K03760
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 17030:Human geosciences-related
• Research Institution: Shimane University
• Principal Investigator: Tsujimoto Akira 島根大学, 学術研究院教育学系, 講師 (60570554)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松本 一郎 島根大学, 学術研究院教育学系, 教授 (30335541) ; 渡邉 正巳 島根大学, エスチュアリー研究センター, 客員研究員 (80626276)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: たたら製鉄 / 磁鉄鉱 / 鉄穴流し / 河川堆積物 / 砂鉄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the Izumo area, there are only fragmentary records of the source of iron sand, which was used for modern tatara ironworks, in local histories. In this study, we focused on magnetite, a major constituent of iron sand, and proposed a method for estimating the origin of iron sand by analyzing the morphology, grain size, and chemistry of magnetite contained in existing river sediments. The results of morphological analysis of magnetite collected from 32 sites in 12 river basins revealed that each river or basin has its own characteristics, and the results of chemical analysis revealed seven groups. These results were compiled to form a database for estimating the origin of iron sand.

Free Research Field

環境地質学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

たたら製鉄遺跡に伴う「砂鉄」の産地推定法として，地質学的視点から河川堆積物中（32地点）の磁鉄鉱の特徴を調べ，データベースを作成した．遺跡出土の「砂鉄」について当該データベースを用いた産地推定を試行した結果，考古学的な知見と合わせることで，地誌等の記録を補完する科学的な証拠を得ることができる可能性が示唆された．さらにデータベースを充実させることで，近世以前の物流（海運）等の文化的背景を知る上で重要な知見を提供することができるようになると考えられる．