Exploring the earliest human history on Okinawa Island

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06445
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45050:Physical anthropology-related
• Research Institution: National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Fujita Masaki 独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 人類研究部, 研究主幹 (50804126)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 沖縄島 / 旧石器人 / 渡来 / 化石シカ / 絶滅 / 淡水資源 / 持続的利用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The archaeological excavations were conducted at Sakitari Cave, southern part of Okinawa Island with the aim of clarifying the earliest human history of the Ryukyu Islands. Traces of humans in this cave have been identified at least 30,000 years ago and possibly further back. The use of freshwater resources (especially crabs and snails) as food continued at this site, and no fossil deer have found in sediments younger than 30,000 years ago. The fossil deer were thought to be extinct about 20,000 years ago, but our results suggest that they may have been extinct earlier than 30,000 years ago. If so, Paleolithic people, who arrived on Okinawa Island at 35,000-30,000 years ago, may have been involved in the deer extinction.

Free Research Field

自然人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

亜熱帯島嶼の琉球列島の最初期の人類史を探る目的で、沖縄島南部のサキタリ洞遺跡を発掘した。その結果、人類の痕跡は3万前までは確実に遡り、また、化石シカ類は3万年前までに絶滅し、以後、人類は1万3千年前ごろまで淡水性のカニやカワニナを食資源として利用し続けていた。この結果から、従来の化石シカ絶滅は２万年前という見解に反し、3万5千～3万年前に渡来した人類が化石シカの絶滅に関与した可能性が示唆され、また、陸上資源が限られていても淡水、海水資源を利用すれば持続的生活が可能であることも明らかになった。