The Research of the Jomon Age Shell-mound in Tohoku District

1987 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 61450053
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 考古学(含先史学)
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: SUTOH Takashi Faculty of Arts and Letters, Assistant Professor, 文学部, 助教授 (00004060)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): AITA Yoshihiro Faculty of Arts and Letters,Assistant, 文学部, 助手 (40192835)
• Project Period (FY): 1986 – 1987
• Keywords: Jomon Age / Shell-mound / Jomon Pottery / Faunal Remains / 亀ケ岡文化 / 動物遺存体 / 季節性推定 / アサリ成長線算定 / 亀ケ岡式土器

Research Abstract

This research involves two excavations(in 1986,1987)of Jomon shell-middens in the Tohoku district.It aims at reconstructimg cultural aspects of subsistence economy of the Jomon period.The developmental processes of these activities were also pursued.Special emphasis was laid on the advances in methodological issues of shell-midden research and subsistence studies.
(1)We have compiled a basic database of shell-middens on punch-cards.It consists of archaeological records of 400 sites in the Tohoku district.
(2)In 1986,we conducted excavations at the Nakasawame shell-midden,Tajiri-cho, Miyagi Prefecture.It is a typical interior freshwater shell-midden.A total of 190 micro-strata was recognized and excavated separately.All the excavated matrix was water-screened through 1 mm mesh.Retrieved artifacts and faunal remains were analyzed in relation to the micro-stratigraphic provenience. Seasonality of depositional episodes of the micro-strata was reconstructed by means of counting growth lines i n shori-necked clams(Tapes philippinarum). Seasonal dating of shells sheds some lights on subsistence resource utilization in the region.Information on behavioral cycles of household/kitchen residue dumping as well as its temporal intervals was also obtained.The research is a concrete step to the study of Jomon life-ways in the lower Kitakami drainage.
(3)In 1987,we conducted excavations at the Saragai shell-midden,Kahoku-cho, which is situated near the estuarine area of the Kitakami River.The research methods at Saragai basically followed those at Nakasawame.The site is a saltwater shell-midden located inside of a small bay.Short-necked clams constitute a major body of shell remains.It belongs to the third stage of the Final Jomon period.The composition of faunal remains at Saragai represents a sharp contrast to interior shell-middens such as Nakasawame. We further plan to investigate different settlement and subsistence strategies under this comparative perspective,between interior and estuarine areas.