Uenohara site
 Uenohara Site with reconstructed pit dwellings | |
  Uenohara Site  Uenohara site (Japan) | |
| Location | Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Kyushu |
| Coordinates | 31°42′44.9″N 130°48′04.1″E / 31.712472°N 130.801139°E |
| Type | settlement trace |
| Area | 36 hectares |
| History | |
| Periods | Jōmon period |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1986- |
| Condition | Archaeological park |
| Public access | Yes (park, museum) |
 | |
Uenohara Site (
Overview
[edit]The Uenohara Site is located on the Uenohara Plateau at an elevation of approximately 260 meters, bordering Kinko Bay (Kagoshima Bay). The plateau is composed of thick layers of pumice and volcanic ash that originate from Mount Sakurajima. The site contains a complex of ruins dating from the early Jōmon period with the ruins discovered on the north side of the plateau directly beneath the pumice layer (P-13), which fell about 9,500 years ago. This date has also been verified by mass spectrometer analysis. The settlement utilized a shallow natural valley extending from the center to the northern edge of the plateau, spreading out along two roads. It was found to contain 52 pit dwellings, 65 stone collection remains, 16 storage pits arranged in an orderly manner, making it sone of the oldest permanent settlements in Japan. The remains of pit dwellings are square or rectangular with rounded corners, two to five meters on each side, and have a floor area of three to ten square meters.The known dates of eruptions from nearby Mount Sakurajima has assisted with dating, with some 17 layers of stratification identified. The remains were found in the upper nine layers. [3]
On the south side of the plateau are remains of stone collections from around 7,500 years ago from the late early Jōmon period, believed to be cooking and food preservation sites, ritual remains containing large pot-shaped Jōmon earthenware, and polished stone axes, etc., and more than 150,000 pieces of earthenware, stone tools, and accessories. The pottery excavated from this village site was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1998.[4] From the remains and artifacts discovered, it is believed that food preparation methods were established early on, and that a stable society existed from the early Jōmon period onwards, ahead of other regions. [3]
Currently, the ruins have been backfilled for protection, and the 36 hectare area around the ruins is maintained as a park called Uenohara Jōmon-no-Mori (
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b
上野原 縄文 の森 [Uenohara Jōmon no Mori] (in Japanese). Kirishima City. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012. - ^ "
上野原 遺跡 " (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2020. - ^ a b c Isomura, Yukio; Sakai, Hideya (2012). (
国 指定 史跡 事典 ) National Historic Site Encyclopedia.学生 社 . ISBN 4311750404.(in Japanese) - ^ "
鹿児島 県 上野原 遺跡 出土 品 " (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2020. - ^ "
鹿児島 県 上野原 縄文 の森 ・鹿児島 県立 埋蔵 文化財 センター" [Uenohara Jōmon no Mori, Kagoshima - Kagoshima Prefectural Cultural Property Centre] (in Japanese). AXS Satow. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Uenohara site at Wikimedia Commons
- Official home page(in Japanese)
- Kagoshima Prefecture Tourism Site(in Japanese)