CONTENTS
Vol.68 No.1（269）, June 2021
ARTICLES
- A reconsideration of iron sword production in Yayoi-period North Kyūshū
- Joseph RYAN
Abstract: The author reconsiders the production of iron swords in Yayoi-period North Kyūshū by analyzing changes in blade thickness and cross-section. In Stage 1 (late Middle Yayoi to early Late Yayoi period), thick swords were dominant, presenting a stark difference from the following stages. The author suggests that this stage was characterized by mostly imported swords. Even if the swords had been produced locally, the production technology must be viewed as having discontinued at the end of the stage. In Stage 2 (mid Late Yayoi to late Late Yayoi period), the author suggests that the local production of thinner swords increased, paving the way for Stage 3 (Terminal Yayoi to Early Kofun period), in which the local production of thinner swords expanded significantly. The author’s reevaluation of iron sword production in this region is instructive when considering the place of production for swords unearthed throughout other regions of the archipelago.
Keywords: Iron swords; Yayoi period; Kofun period; ironware production; iron weapons
- Reexamination of the Jōgan Tsunami: An archaeological consideration of tsunami deposits
- AIHARA Junichi
Abstract: Leading up to the tenth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, this contribution summarizes the results of 10 years to date of archaeological research conducted on tsunami deposits, particularly those relating to the Jōgan Tsunami of 869.
The Jōgan Tsunami sediment layer has been detected in investigations at Suijin-numa and Kumanosaku Site in Yamamoto Town, and at Sannō Site in Tagajō City, Miyagi Prefecture, and has been confirmed as having the same structure of deposition particular to tsunami sediments that became clear with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Ordinarily, what is ascertained in natural science borecore surveys conducted at interlevee marshes is not unaltered tsunami sediment, but, in nearly every case, secondary depositions that have moved to low-lying areas and become buried through a process of exposure to the elements. Within such environmentally isolated features, the structure of deposition particular to tsunami sediments is preserved (Fig.18) and, for the determination as tsunami damage, the lacquer peel method for soil strata and diatom analysis are effective.
The Jōgan Tsunami sediment layers at the Kumanosaku Site and the Sannō Site were confirmed at locations higher in elevation than the inundation of the recent March 11 tsunami, indicating the highest positions reached by tsunamis over the past 1,500 years, and largely substantiating the account surviving in the Nihon sandai jitsuroku.
Keywords: tsunami deposits; structure of deposition particular to tsunami sediments; tsunami sediment layer; lacquer peel method; diatom analysis
- Imitation of Chinese ceramics and its regional variation in northeastern Japan during the Heian period: Quantification of pottery shapes using geometric morphometrics
- TATEUCHI Kai
Abstract: In Japan, pottery that was manufactured to morphologically imitate Chinese ceramics appeared from the second half of the 9th century through the 10th century. Such imitation has been considered as a dynamic reformation of pottery style in Japan.
The aim of this study is to quantify and investigate the regional variation of morphological change to show the interaction between areas in the northeastern part of Japan. In this study, outline-based (Elliptic Fourier analysis) and semi-landmark-based geometric morphometric analyses are performed on pottery outlines. The results suggest that the morphological change occurred first in the provincial center and later spread to some, but not all, surrounding areas. These regional differences could be related to the availability of Chinese ceramics and the degree of political and cultural interaction between the provincial center or Kinai capital region and the other areas.
Keywords: imitation of Chinese ceramics; interaction between areas; the northeastern part of Japan; potter’s modeling tool; geometric morphometrics
REPORTS, NEWS AND APPEALS
- On the preservation of the Takanawa embankment
- Standing Committee of the Society
- Ten years since the Great East Japan Earthquake: Have we changed? (Part 1)
- Looking back on the Great East Japan Earthquake and forward to the future
- NEGITA Yoshio
- Ten years since the disaster: The present and future of cultural heritage in Fukushima Prefecture
- KIKUCHI Yoshio
- Ten years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant disaster: Perspectives from Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture
- SANPEI Hidefumi
- Perspectives on the Great East Japan Earthquake and disaster-stricken Fukushima Prefecture from a cultural-heritage specialist
- KAWATA Tuyoshi
- The Great Hanshin Earthquake, the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the future: Current society and the role of archaeological sites
- YAMAMOTO Makoto
- A perspective from Okinawa
- NAKAYAMA Susumu
- Mogi kofun: An experiment in site and artifact preservation and utilization, Part 4
- Roundtable: Current situation, issues, and prospects
- WAKIYA Soichiro, OGURA Daisuke, TATEISHI Toru and TOMII Makoto
- Online information session for cultural-heritage specialists in the Kinki region and cultivating the next generation
- FUKUNAGA Shin’ya
- Report on the Society of Archaeological Studies 35th Tōkai Regional Meeting: Hunting activity and flora alteration during the first half of the Upper Paleolithic at the base of Ashitakayama
- YAMAOKA Takuya
BOOK REVIEW
- MIDOSHIMA Tadashi (ed.). Lithic use-wear analysis: Theory and practice
- MORISAKI Kazuki
NEW BOOKS
- Ono Akira. Illustrated archaeology guidebook
- UEMINE Atsushi
- MIZUNOE Kazutomo. An introduction to buried cultural heritage and archaeology
- TAKATA Ken-ichi
- SHITARA Hiromi. The archaeology of faces: A spiritual history of demons and tattoos
- NAKAGAWA Tomomi
- SUZUKI Shintaro. Ancient Maya civilization: Three millennia of prosperity and decline
- ICHIKAWA Akira
ARCHEO-FOCUS
- Excavation of the Kuroiwa-maeda site in Karatsu city, Saga prefecture
- Karatsu City Board of Education
- Research on nephrite lithics in prehistoric Southeast Asia
- IIZUKA Yoshiyuki
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMITTEE