Overview: Japanese Archaeological Research Trends 2019
Overview: Japanese Archaeological Research Trends 20191
Tsuji Hideto2
The 2019 fiscal year3is worthy of commemoration for the change to the new era name, Reiwa,4 as of May 1.
With regards to cultural properties, the “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan” was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites, causing a big sensation. As is well known, the Mozu5 and Furuichi6 tomb groups are in a densely populated region of Osaka prefecture, and their preservation has a history of contention. While designation as a World Heritage Site is a joyous development on the one hand, as indicated in the statement jointly issued with 13 other academic societies titled “Opinion Concerning the Selection of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group for Registration as World Cultural Heritage,” it is desirable that a comprehensive plan be executed for the preservation and utilization of the tomb group including the surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, memory is still fresh of the destruction by fire of Shuri Castle7 in Okinawa in the early morning hours of October 31. It was a bitter loss not only for the citizens of Okinawa prefecture, but for the Japanese nation as a whole. Examples of damage and loss of cultural properties to natural disasters are numerous. As was learned from the damage by fire to the murals at the Main Hall of Hōryūji,8 we must confirm again the need for study and efforts toward the preservation of cultural properties.
In the final portion of the 2019 fiscal year, the novel coronavirus infection spread, and society as a whole was driven into a reduction or cessation of activity. Many research and academic societies unfortunately halted or postponed their activities. Under the COVID-19 crisis, we could say we have been dealt a great challenge as to how we might carry out our research efforts.
Herein I would like to look back on the research trends in Japanese archaeology for the 2019 fiscal year.
1. Paleolithic period
The 2019 fiscal year is a critical juncture as the 20th year since the exposure of the Early/Middle Paleolithic Hoax. Regarding this unprecedented incident, for which the Association organized a special committee to deal with clarification of the problem, a special collection was compiled in Kōkogaku jānaru (The Archaeological Journal).9 As a result of inspecting the issue, new research results, methodologies, and perspectives were discussed based on critical reflection.
Following the exposure of the hoax, there has been debate over the timing of the appearance of humankind in the Japanese archipelago. While it is generally believed that humans arrived from the Korean Peninsula via a land bridge during the Last Glacial Period, the possibility of an earlier date is being discussed. The debate will likely deepen in connection with the theory of an early dispersal of modern humans. Thorough discussion including the age and typology of the oldest stone tools is desired. Also, an experimental voyage was conducted over the Okinawa route, a possible migration pathway. It is hoped that comprehensive research will be furthered combining an evaluation of that success with other factors.
Technical studies of stone tool assemblages were also conducted regarding blade technology, and analyses incorporating 3D measurement data appeared as well. In addition, attempts at elucidating trace marks left on stone tools are being carried out through experimental archaeological methods. The approach of comprehensively examining trace marks on stone tools by recognizing that they accumulated over the lifespans of these objects will likely expand the possibilities of future research.
Comparative studies have been conducted over a wide area including East Asia regarding the transition from the Paleolithic to the Jōmon periods, that is, the time of the emergence of pottery, and the factual relations are becoming clear. At the same time, there is debate back and forth as to whether the appearance of pottery per se can be considered as the beginning of the Jōmon period. In addition, the regional nature of the transition to Jōmon culture is being researched, and clarification of the specific character of the period is also an issue for future study. In addition, at the Kitamachi10 site in Yamagata prefecture, an Incipient settlement and wetland area have been investigated and a variety of artifacts and food remains were recovered, providing valuable data for considering the daily life and environment of the time, the actual conditions of the Incipient phase of the Jōmon period.
In the new area of academic research on the Yaponesian genome, the origin and developmental process of humans of the Japanese archipelago are being pursued by sequencing and comparatively analyzing the genome from the Paleolithic period on. Comparative examinations with archaeological results are greatly anticipated.
2. Jōmon period
In Jōmon research, work is being done in the clarification of Jōmon society through studies of graves, settlements, and artifacts, and in chronological research.
In settlement research, changes in settlement from the Middle into the Late phases were frequently taken up, with circular settlements, changes in settlement locations, regional trends, and so forth being discussed
Regarding mortuary customs and burial systems, a research meeting was held by the Jōmon Period Culture Research Society to sort out issues confronting attempts to elucidate the shape of society based on the conditions of mortuary practice. 11 In addition, there were many treatises discussing the relationship between burial systems, grave goods, and rituals, and many articles pursuing relations between settlements and graves, and the results of these efforts are anticipated. In recent years there have been discoveries of human bone from rock shelter sites, and work is being carried out on information that can be read from such buried skeletal materials.
Chronological research is active for each phase of the period, and along with examinations along the temporal axis the spatial distributions are being thoroughly discussed, and as a result it is anticipated that trends in Jōmon society will be clarified. For stone tools, research is being pursued into the manufacturing technology and into their functions. Regarding the latter, relations between function and the plant diet, and the clarification based on experiment of the method of fixing tools to handles and so forth are drawing attention. In research on clay figurines, there is debate on their functions along with their distribution and transitions, and compilations are being advanced.
Regarding the relationship with the natural environment, the impression replica technique12 has been widely adopted and is achieving new results. In addition,research results are accumulating related to the flora and fauna.
The results of scientific analysis have been widely incorporated into Jōmon research, and achievements are being published in the dating of human bone, in stable isotope analysis, and in DNA analysis. There is a high possibility that new images of the Jōmon period will emerge through synthesis with research results from archaeology.
3. Yayoi period
In the midst of debate over its absolute chronology, the view that the Yayoi period should be divided into neolithic and early metal age eras has been advanced. That the concept of the Yayoi period encompasses a major division seen in world history is a serious problem, and will likely lead in the end to questions of the basis on which the Yayoi period is divided from others. We should keep an eye on what direction research takes on this issue in the future.
In addition, there were treatises examining the substance of the Yayoi period from the perspective of eastern Japan, while Yayoi society of the Kinki region as a whole was being concretely discussed. What the diversity of Yayoi society across the Japanese archipelago means will likely be a significant issue in the future.
Exchanges with the Korean Peninsula were actively discussed at symposiums and other venues, yielding important results. In research on agriculture, the replica method has become widespread, and the actual conditions of grain cultivation in Yayoi society, including the transition period from the Jōmon, are gradually being clarified, and a compilation systematically summarizing these results has been published. Additionally, nuclear genome analysis has been conducted with recovered skeletal materials, and it has become clear that two genetic lines of Jōmon and immigrant derivation existed in northwestern Kyushu in Yayoi times. This will likely be important information for considerations of Yayoi society. It will be necessary to assess comprehensively whether this is consistent with the results of archaeological examinations.
4. Kofun period
One theme in Kofun period research transcending that age is what was the Yamato monarchy, what manner of function did it bear? Also, indispensable to considerations of this theme is the question of what were the keyhole-shaped mounded tombs?
A variety of issues are debated regarding this broad theme, such as communities of shared interests among the chiefly class, the organization of the military, the rituals of the tombs, and so forth. Differences in the points of view among debaters yield vastly different images drawn of the monarchy. Further developments are anticipated. Also, the colossal size of Middle period tombs was debated at the Japanese Archaeological Association’s 2019 Autumn Meeting13 and elsewhere. In opposition to the prevailing view explaining the growth to colossal size in terms of the increased power of the monarchy, new perspectives asserting of the instability of the monarchy or the distribution of wealth and so forth have been indicated.
For burial facilities, the results of comprehensive research on horizontal stone chambers were published. Also, for the relationship between changes in burial facilities and the compositions of social groups, the transitions and uniformity of horizontal stone chambers was debated for each region; further, regarding the stone materials making up the chambers the use of 3D measurement has been introduced, and regional aspects of the relationships between stone processing technology and masonry groups are being examined.
In haniwa research, new understandings of the placements of groups of representational haniwa are being explored, and for cylindrical haniwa, relations between haniwa production and regional development, and how haniwa may have served as emblems of political authority were discussed. For representational haniwa the human figures are being reevaluated, and topics such as how to distinguish single-edged from double-edged swords in haniwa representations, and the relationship between haniwa and wooden funerary items, are being debated.
In research on weapons and armor, the production system for swords was examined, and a need pointed out to reexamine its understanding as a unified system of production and distribution. Also, a detailed examination was made of decorative swords, and the political implications of their distribution were discussed. In connection with equestrian gear Uma no kōkogaku (Archaeology of Horses) was published, in which a variety of perspectives including the system of production and the significance of horses and horse gear were discussed.14 In settlement research, at symposiums held by the Society of Archaeological Studies Kansai Regional Meeting15 and the Tōhoku/Kantō Keyhole Tomb Research Society,16 relationships between trends in settlements and in tomb construction were discussed. In ceramics debate, parallel relations were sorted out among a wide variety of Haji17 ware assemblages that developed at the time of the appearance of kofun in various regions. In addition, attempts to read social conditions from the nature of pottery assemblages were also carried out. For Sue18 ware, there were also attempts to decipher regional society from the perspective of ceramics. The topics of changes in vessel types, and the delineation of individual characteristics for production kilns were pursued. In research on wooden implements, there is a trend for discussing the technology of wet-rice cultivation based on the functions of wooden tools. In addition, the development of decorative wooden pedestalled dishes was examined, and the possibility suggested of considering their relationship with the Hokuriku region. Future developments are hoped for in these areas.
Regarding relationships with the Korean peninsula, a comprehensive anthology was compiled by the National Museum of Japanese History and Folklore.19 Also, in relations with the peninsula as seen in weapons, artifacts of Japanese derivation found on the peninsula and so forth were discussed. There will likely be debate henceforth as to whether the relations seen between the two were based on kingly authority or on regional networks.
5. Ancient period
For the Ancient period, continuing from the previous fiscal year there were investigations of capitals, government office complexes, temples and so forth related to the management of Historic Sites, or aimed at securing Historic Site designations. Additionally, there were investigations carried out of road remains and associated facilities, and production sites, etc. Investigations of large-scale settlements were also conducted.
For capitals, there were excavations to the southeast of the Former Imperial Audience Hall, and in the Eastern Government Office Sector at the Nara palace site. New materials were obtained related to the Western Palace of Retired Emperor Heizei20 and to the Eastern Government Office Sector. In Kyoto, excavations in the capital districts at the Nagaoka21 and Heian22 capitals are being continuously conducted, and have been producing results.
At government office sites, investigations are continuing at Tagajō23 and Dazaifu,24 both Special Historic Sites. The Miyagi Prefectural Research Institute of the Tagajō Site has published a compilation of glazed ceramics25 that have been assembled and examined. At the Saikū26 palace complex in Mie Prefecture, a group of features dating back to the Asuka period have been detected, which is an important discovery for clarifying the initial phase of the site. There were many investigations at temple sites. These include the Saiji27 temple site in Kyoto, and the Teramachi28 abandoned temple site in Hiroshima prefecture.
As for production sites, at the Akasaka D site29 in Fukushima prefecture, the remains were found of kilns for the manufacture of Sue ware, charcoal, and roof tiles for which the locus of production was previously unknown. Apart from this, the Fukada30 kiln site group in Aichi prefecture and the Ishizaka31 kiln site group in Fukuoka prefecture and others were investigated. In addition, the iron casting facilities found at the Kurotsuchi32 site in Kusatsu, Shiga prefecture, are drawing attention as precious archaeological features.
In recent years, road features and related facilities have been investigated one after another. In Gunma prefecture, gutters and seismic fissures were confirmed at a site inferred as part of the Tōsandō33 highway. Features at the Shimookada34 site in Hiroshima prefecture, from their appearance and because they are facing the Ancient San’yōdō35 highway, are thought to have possibly been the Aki36 post station.
For settlements, in Saitama prefecture the remains of a vast settlement straddling three archaeological sites and exceeding 60,000 m2 in area have been confirmed. At the Shimoda Minami37 site in Aichi prefecture, the remains of numerous pit- dwellings and embedded pillar buildings have been ascertained, with many distinctive artifacts being recovered. It is hoped that much will result from the analysis of these materials.
At a symposium on Ancient period fortifications,38 perspectives were presented comparing conditions in eastern and western Japan. This will probably be one of the directions for the future.
6. Medieval, Early Modern, Modern periods
In urban research, the results of recent activities of the Medieval Urban Research Society were published as Kōshin to kenryoku (Ports and Authority).39 In addition, the results of many years of research that have accumulated for Hiraizumi (Iwate prefecture) have been compiled.40 Both are efforts that show the level of Medieval urban research. In addition, books were published comprehensively examining the samurai as theme from various perspectives.
Regarding castle research, symposiums were held by active groups such as the Shokuhō Period Castle Research Society,41 San’in Archaeological Research Meeting,42 and Chūgoku/Shikoku Residential Castle Investigations Discussion Meeting.43 Topics such as stone walls, roof tiles, and satellite (branch) castles were taken up. For publications, the Castles Discussion Group compiled a volume on the nature of the castles of the Kinki region from the perspectives of documentary sources, archaeology, and territorial considerations.44 In addition, comprehensive research results related to castles of the Sengoku daimyo Takeda clan were also published.45
In mortuary research, Sekine Tatsuhito edited a systematic anthology on the themes of funerary customs, graves, and stone stupas, which also clearly demonstrated the significance and methodology of studying gravestones and showed the ultimate goal of research.46
Ceramics research was extremely prosperous, with symposiums and study meetings held on a variety of issues by the Society for Medieval Ware Research, 47 Japan Society for the Study of Oriental Trade Ceramics,48 and the Bizen History Forum.49 In addition, Volumes 10 and 11 of Chūkinsei tōjiki no kōkogaku (Archaeology of Medieval and Early Modern Glazed Ceramics) have been published,50 with ambitious articles and indications of new research methods included as results showing the current level of research. Also, the monograph Chūsei kawara no kōkogaku (Archaeology of Medieval Roof Tiles),51 which won the 8th Sumita Ancient Tiles/Archaeology Research Promotion Award, summarizes aspects of Medieval roof tiles in each region.
Conclusion
Above, I have described the research trends of the 2019 fiscal year for each era of the Japanese archipelago. I leave the remainder of this task to the separate descriptions in this volume.52
Research in recent years has focused attention on the beginning of each era and the transition to the next. Typical examples are the appearance of humankind in the archipelago, the relationship between the Paleolithic and the Jōmon periods, and the beginning of the Yayoi period. Topics such as these encompass questions of the substance of each period and the basis for dividing one period from the next. How to answer such questions will be a significant issue for Japanese archaeology.
Also, the silicone replica method, DNA analysis, and various other new research methodologies are gradually becoming widespread. While there is great hope for new research results, at the same time it will be questioned how we should evaluate those results from the standpoint of archaeology, how we can reconstruct their relations with outcomes of archaeological research. Reflecting critically on the Paleolithic Hoax, we will need to take the stance of assimilating such results with views from an archaeological standpoint.
1 [Trends in Japanese Archaeological Research, 2019, is a partial translation of “Nihon kōkogaku kenkyū no dōkō” 日本考古学研究の動向, in Nihon kōkogaku nenpō 72 (2019 nendoban) 日本考古学年報 72（2019 年度版) (Archaeologia Japonica 72 [2019 Fiscal Year Issue]) (Nihon Kōkogaku Kyōkai, 2021), pp. 1–31. This essay appears on pp. 1-3, under the Japanese title “Sōsetsu” 総説. It was translated by Walter Edwards, and published by the Japanese Archaeological Association (Nihon Kōkogaku Kyōkai日本考古学協会) online in 2023. To streamline the text, characters for Japanese names and terms, and bibliographic information have been placed in footnotes. When an English translation of the name of an organization or publication (or symposium, etc.) is supplied by the party responsible, this is used with minimum changes in capitalization etc. to conform to the style followed by Trends in Japanese Archaeological Research. Romanized names of individuals are given with the surname followed by the personal name.]
2 辻 秀人
3 The fiscal year begins on April 1 of each calendar year.
4 令和
5 百舌鳥
6 古市
7 首里城
8 法隆寺 (Nara prefecture) [Translator’s note: The reference is to a fire which broke out in January 1949, prompting concerns that led the following year to the promulgation of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.]
9 “Zen/Chūki Kyūsekki Netsuzō kara 20 nen” 前・中期旧石器捏造から 20 年 (20 Years after the Early and Middle Paleolithic Hoax), a collection of six articles in Kōkogaku jānaru 考古学ジャーナル (The Archaeo- logical Journal), no. 730 (2019): 3–23.
10 北町
11 “Jōmon jidai sōbosei kenkyū no gendankai” 縄文時代葬墓制研究の現段階 (The current stage of research on Jōmon period mortuary and burial systems), symposium commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Jōmon Jidai Bunka Kenkyūkai 縄文時代文化研究会 (Jōmon Period Culture Research Society), Nihon Daigaku, 7–8 December 2019.
12 [Translator’s note: The reference is to the use of silicone replica analysis of impressions in pottery left by organic materials such as starch granules, nuts, and insects.]
13 “Kofun jidai chūki no kyodai kofun” 古墳時代中期の巨大古墳 (Colossal tombs of the Middle Kofun period), session held at the Japanese Archaeological Association 2019 Autumn Meeting (Okayama Daigaku, 26–27 October 2019).
14 Migishima Kazuo 右島和夫, ed., Uma no kōkogaku 馬の考古学 (Archaeology of Horses) (Yūzankaku, 2019).
15 “Chiiki kenkyū ni motozuku Kofun jidai no shūraku kōzō to shakai” 地域研究に基づく古墳時代の集落構 造 と 社 会 (Settlement structure and society in the Kofun period based on regional research), Kōkogaku Kenkyūkai Kansai Reikai Shinpojiumu 考古学研究会関西例会シンポジウム (Society of Archaeological Studies Kansai Regional Meeting Symposium), held at Osaka Campus Plaza Kyoto, 2 February 2020.
16 “Kōki no naka no henkaku: 536 nen ibento ni miru kikō hendō to no kakawari” 後期の中の変革: 536年イベントにみる気候変動との関わり (Changes in the Late Kofun: Relationship with climate change attributable to the extreme weather event of 536), symposium held in conjunction with the Dai 25-kai Tōhoku/Kantō Zenpōkōenfun Kenkyūkai Taikai 第 25 回 東北・関東前方後円墳研究会大会 (25th Meeting, Tōhoku/Kantō Keyhole Tomb Research Society), Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, 15–16 February 2020.
17 土師
18 須恵
19 “[Kyōdō kenkyū] Kofun jidai/Sangoku jidai ni okeru Nitchō kankeishi no saikōchiku: Wa to Yonsangan ryūiki no kankei o chūshin ni” [共同研究] 古墳時代・三国時代における日朝関係史の再構築: 倭と栄山江流域の関係を中心に ([Collaborative research] Reconstruction of the History of Japan-Korea Relations in the Kofun Period of Japan and the Three Kingdoms Period of Korea: Focusing on the Relationship between the Country of Wa and the Yeongsan River Basin), a collection of 14 articles in Kokuritsu Rekishi Minzoku Hakubutsukan kenkyū hōkoku 国立歴史民俗博物館研究報告 (Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History), no. 217 (2019): 1–346.
20 平城
21 長岡
22 平安
23 多賀城 (Miyagi prefecture)
24 太宰府 (Fukuoka prefecture)
25 Miyagi-ken Tagajō Ato Kenkyūjo 宮城県多賀城跡調査研究所 (Miyagi Prefectural Research Institute of the Tagajo Site), Tagajō seyū tōjiki 多賀城施釉陶磁器 (Tagajō Glazed Ceramics) (Tagajō, Miyagi: Miyagi Prefectural Research Institute of the Tagajo Site, 2020).
26 斎宮
27 西寺
28 寺町
29 赤坂Ｄ遺跡
30 深田
31 石坂
32 黒土
33 東山道
34 下岡田
35 山陽道
36 安芸
37 下田南
38 “Kikuchijō shimpojiumu: Kodai no sanjō to Tōhoku jōsaku” 鞠智城シンポジウム: 古代の山城と東北城柵 (Kikuchi castle symposium: Ancient hilltop castles and Tōhoku fortresses), symposium jointly sponsored by Ryūkoku University and the Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education (Kyoto, Ryūkoku University Kyōto Hall, 6 October 2019
39 Chūsei Toshi Kenkyūkai 中世都市研究会 (Medieval Urban Research Society), ed., Kōshin to kenryoku
港津と権力 (Ports and Authority) (Yamakawa Shuppansha, 2019).
40 Yaegashi Tadao 八重樫忠郎, Hiraizumi no kōkogaku 平泉の考古学 (The archaeology of Hiraizumi) (Koshi Shoin, 2019).
41 “Sengoku jidai ni okeru ishigaki gijutsu no kōkogakuteki kenkyū” 戦国時代における石垣技術の考古学的研究 (Archaeological research on stone wall technology of the Sengoku period), 2019 Meeting of the Shokuhōki Jōkaku Kenkyūkai 織豊期城郭研究会 (Shokuhō Period Castle Research Society), Hikone, 7– 8 September 2019.
42 “San’in no jōkaku kawara dōnyū to tenkai” 山陰の城郭瓦 導入と展開 (Introduction and development of San’in castle roof tiles), Dai 47-kai San’in Kōkogaku Kenkyū Shūkai 第 47 回山陰考古学研究集会 (47th San’in Archaeological Research Meeting), Tottori, 31 August 2019.
43 “Kōkogaku kara shijōsei o tou” 考古学から支城制を問う (Questioning the satellite castle system from archaeology), Dai 24-kai Chūgoku/Shikoku Chiku Jōkan Chōsa Kentōkai 第 24 回中国・四国地区城館調査検 討 会 (24th Chūgoku/Shikoku Residential Castle Investigations Discussion Meeting), Naruto, Tokushima prefecture, 28–29 September 2019.
44 Jōkaku Danwakai 城郭談話会 (Castle Discussion Group), ed., Kinki no jōkaku: Bunken, kōko, nawabari kara saguru 近畿の城郭: 文献・考古・縄張りから探る (The castles of Kinki: Exploring from literature, archaeology, territory) (Ebisukōshō Shuppan, 2019).
45 Hagihara Mitsuo 萩原三雄, Sengokuki jōkaku to kōkogaku 戦国期城郭と考古学 (Sengoku Period Castles and Archaeology) (Iwata Shoin, 2019).
46 Sekine Tatsuhito 関根達人 , ed., “Hakaishi no kōkogaku” 墓石の考古学 (The archaeology of gravestones), a collection of 20 articles in Kikan kōkogaku 季刊考古学 (Archaeology Quarterly), no. 149 (2019): 14-99.
47 “Chūjō kōdai doki o kangaeru” 柱状高台土器を考える (Considering pottery with pillar-shaped pedestals), Dai 38-kai Chūsei Doki Kenkyūkai 第 38 回中世土器研究会 (38th Meeting of the Society for Medieval Ware Research), Kyoto, 30 November–1 December 2019.
48 “Minami Kyūshū–Amami guntō no bōeki tōji” 南九州～ 奄美群島の貿易陶磁 (Trade ceramics of southern Kyushu–Amami Islands), Dai 40-kai Nihon Bōeki Tōji Kenkyūkai 第 40 回日本貿易陶磁研究会 (40th Meeting, Japan Society for the Study of Oriental Trade Ceramics), Kirishima, Kagoshima, 21–22 September 2019.
49 “Bizen yaki kenkyū saizensen III: Tenkabito Hideyoshi kara Bizen miyajishi made” 備前焼研究最前線 III: 天下人秀吉から備前宮獅子まで (The forefront of Bizen yaki research III: From world ruler Hideyoshi to the shrine guardian dog), Bizen Rekishi Fōramu 2019 備前歴史フォーラム 2019 (Bizen History Forum 2019), Bizen, Okayama, 18–19 January 2020.
50 Sasaki Tatsuo 佐々木達夫, ed., Chūkinsei tōjiki no kōkogaku 中近世陶磁器の考古学 (Archaeology of Medieval and Early Modern Glazed Ceramics), vols. 10–11 (Yūzankaku, 2019).
51 Chūsei Kawara Kenkyūkai 中世瓦研究会 (Medieval Roof Tile Research Society), ed., Chūsei kawara no kōkogaku 中世瓦の考古学 (Archaeology of Medieval Roof Tiles) (Koshi Shoin, 2019).
52 [Translator’s note: The reference is to summaries for each era of research trends contained in Nihon kōkogaku nenpō, the same volume as this introductory overview.]
Trends in Japanese Archaeological Research, 2019
© 2023 The Japanese Archaeological Association published
online: April 2023