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 ...

located in the city of

Kurihara Kurihara City Hall is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 66,565, and a population density of 83 persons per km2 in 24,994 households. The total area of the city is . Parts of the city are wi ...

, Miyagi Prefecture, 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 northern Japan, containing the ruins of a late Jōmon period to

Yayoi period The started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossed into the Iron Age. Since the 1980s, scholars have argued that a period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon ...

(approximately 500 BC to 0 BC) settlement. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1991 by the Japanese government.

Overview

Located only a half kilometer from the center of former Sanno town, the site is on a

river terrace Fluvial terraces are elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and fluvial valleys all over the world. They consist of a relatively level strip of land, called a "tread", separated from either an adjacent floodplain, other fluvial te ...

on the north bank of the Nakasaki River, which forms a natural fortification. The site was discovered during the construction of school buildings and

rescue archaeology Rescue archaeology, sometimes called commercial archaeology, preventive archaeology, salvage archaeology, contract archaeology, developer-funded archaeology or compliance archaeology, is state-sanctioned, archaeological survey and excavation car ...

excavations conducted in 1962 and 1964 revealed the large extent and importance of the site, leading to its National Historic Site designation in 1971. The site has multiple strata, with numerous relics excavated in each layer. The upper layers, corresponding to the Yayoi period, contained hearth traces, stone tools and tombs. However, of especial interest to archaeologists, is the lower three-meter thick

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...

layer in the soil has preserved fragments of knitted cloth and string from the Jōmon period, as well as examples of early lacquerware, combs, and vermilion-painted hairpins. Also uncovered in this stratum during the initial excavations in 1965 by

Tohoku University , or is a Japanese national university located in Sendai, Miyagi in the Tōhoku Region, Japan. It is informally referred to as . Established in 1907, it was the third Imperial University in Japan and among the first three Designated National ...

were large numbers of nuts (walnuts, acorns, chestnuts) and animal bones, along with over 400 examples of pottery and more than a thousand stone tools and ornaments. These items are on display at a local history museum at the site, which also includes examples of reconstructed pit dwellings. In further investigations conducted from 1995 to 2006, the foundation Yayoi period pit dwellings and a moat surrounding the settlement were discovered. The site is open to the public as the Sanno Historic Park Ayame Garden, with a number of restored pit-type dwellings and the Sanno Roman Museum. It is approximately 20 minutes by car from JR East Tohoku Shinkansen Kurikoma-Kōgen Station.

References

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External links

Kurihara City home page
Archaeological sites in Japan Tourist attractions in Miyagi Prefecture Jōmon period Yayoi period Kurihara, Miyagi Historic Sites of Japan History of Miyagi Prefecture Museums in Miyagi Prefecture

Overview

See also

References

External links