2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Beheaded and displayed signs on skeletal remains recovered in Japan
| Project/Area Number |
21700852
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Cultural property science
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| Research Institution | National Research Institute Cultural Properties, Nara |
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Principal Investigator |
HASHIMOTO Hiroko 独立行政法人国立文化財機構奈良文化財研究所, 埋蔵文化財センター, 客員研究員 (90416412)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2009 – 2010
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| Keywords | 動植物遺体 / 人骨 / 骨考古学 / 打ち首 / さらし首 |
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| Research Abstract |
This paper introduces a skull with several square shaped fractures. The skull was recovered from Nagoe-Kiritoshi site, Japan (Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 50 kilometres southwest from Tokyo). The site is a road side area with poor archaeological remains but many periods. The skull was recovered from a layer of early to mid 14 century. The skull was eroded by acid soil and almost only brain case remained with atlas, and several teeth found in anatomical position in matrix. There was no other part recovered. The skull was middle to old age female, according to size of mastoid process and frontal tuberosity, condition of sutures, and degree of dental wear. The skull had four square shaped fractures of about five by five millimetres. One was on the frontal bone, two were on the parietal bones, and one was on the occipital bone. These fractures occurred shortly after her death. The shape, size and position of fractures looked almost exactly like a picture about public display of severed head on late 13 century scrolls. Although there was no clear evidence of her beheaded, circumstantial evidences (i.e. there was no body recovered, the site was a road side area, four square shaped fractures was on typical parts of the skull, her skull nailed shortly after her death) showed that the person was beheaded and displayed in public. This is the first record of beheaded and displayed head in Japan.
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