Zooarchaeological study on domestication in the Kofun period.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01095
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03050:Archaeology-related
• Research Institution: Tokai University
• Principal Investigator: Maruyama Masashi 東海大学, 海洋学部, 准教授 (00566961)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 動物考古学 / 古墳時代 / 家畜化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to clarify the actual conditions of livestock production and utilisation, and their relationship to the Kofun period. In this study, extraction work was carried out on the animal remains from the Nishinosho site, the core of the analysis, including wild boar, dog, cattle, horse and pheasant, and morphological and other observations were carried out, as well as stable isotope analysis. It was confirmed that the morphology of the animals included those that showed the possibility of being chickens. On the other hand, no distinct changes in domesticated wild boars were observed, and no individuals were found in stable isotope ratios that indicated feeding status. At present, no individuals can be determined to be domesticated, but the presence of livestock cannot be ruled out.

Free Research Field

動物考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本における動物考古学的な家畜研究は、起源論や系統論が注目されるが、その根底にある野生種と家畜の識別法の開発が発展し、方法論が確立されつつある状況にある。そのようななかで、本研究は古墳時代の家畜と王権に関する議論の基盤を整備する基礎的研究として位置づけられる。また、現在の古墳時代研究では、人間が生きるための「食」研究への関心は低く、食料生産が国家形成の根幹を担う生業であり、その一端を明らかにする本研究は画期的なものである。さらに、考古学や文献史学だけでなく、日本における家畜利用を明らかにすることから、民俗学や畜産学などの幅広い分野に波及する。