The is an
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology a ...
consisting of a series of
Shell middens and the remains of an adjacent settlement located in the village of
Higashidōri
is a village located in Aomori, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 5,913 in 2829 households, and a population density of 20 persons per km² . Its total area is .
Geography
Higashidōri occupies the northeastern coastline of S ...
on the
Shimokita Peninsula of
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the eas ...
in the
Tōhoku region
The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata.
Tōhoku reta ...
of far northern
Japan. It has been protected by the central government as a
National Historic Site since 2006.
Overview
Shell middens have been found in many locations in Japan, and are usually associated with
Jōmon period settlements. The shell middens located on
Cape Shiriyazaki are highly unusual in that they date from the
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
, and consist almost exclusively of
abalone shells, with an average diameter of around six centimeters. During the Muromachi period, trade been Japan and China flourished, and dried abalone was an important export product, mentioned frequently in contemporary documents.
The site consists of a series of 14 shell middens dating from the early 14th to the mid-15th centuries AD. Also on the site were the remains of ovens and the foundation holes for several buildings and wells. Both Japanese and Chinese coins and fragments of both Japanese and Chinese ceramics have been found at the site. These finds led archaeologists to the conclusion that the site was an early factory for the production of dried abalone. It is uncertain of any trade took place directly from this site with China, although the presence of Chinese coins and ceramics raises the possibility. In an excavation conducted in 2002, a fragment of a human skull was found at the site, and upon analysis was determine to share traits belonging to both
Ainu and contemporary Japanese,
[Dodo Y. and Kawakubo Y. (2002) Cranial affinities of the Epi-Jomon inhabitants in Hokkaido, Japan. Anthropological Science, 110: 1-32.]
There are no public facilities at the site, which is located approximately 10 minutes by car from the
JR East Shimokita Station
is a railway station in the city of Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It was formerly also the terminal station for the Shimokita Kōtsu Company's , which closed in 2001 and was replaced by a bu ...
.
See also
*
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Aomori)
This list is of the Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefecture of Aomori.
National Historic Sites
As of 17 December 2021, twenty-three Sites have been designated as being of national significance (including one * Special Historic S ...
References
External links
Higashidōri home page{{in lang, ja
Higashidōri, Aomori
Muromachi period
Shell middens in Japan
History of Aomori Prefecture
Historic Sites of Japan