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"NIHON KÔKOGAKU" 22 Abstracts

[A] : Article, [RN] : Research Note, [PR] : Preliminary Report of Excavation, [BR] : Book Review

No.22 November 2006; 161p., ISSN 1340-8488, ISBN 4642090975
[A]Tomoko Nagatomo Acceptance and Development of Covered Open Firing in Yayoi Pottery1-24
[A]Takashi lwamoto Research on Production and Distribution of Cylindrical Bronze Objects15-45
[A]Martin Morris "The Archaeology of Buildings" and its potential for architectural history An exploration focused on the Egawa House repair report47-69
[A]Bunmei Nakui The Origin of Utilizing Horse Chestnuts as a Food Source: Retroactive Study on Folklore Examples 71-93
[RN]Michinori Oya, Nao Yasuda, Kazumi Yokoyama, and Yoshimitsu Hirao Separation of Sand Contained in Pottery and Methods for Its Chemical Analysis 95-108
[RN]Yasuyuki Yoshida A Way of Wearing "Ketsu"-Shaped Ear Ornaments() 109-126
[RN]Hiroaki Ota The Distribution of Materials and Information in the Late Kofun Period. 127-145
[PR]Takashi Tamura, Sadakatsu Kunitake, and Michinori Oya New Discoveries of Paleolothic Quarry Sites in Obsidian Resources: Mt. Takahara and It's Meaning 147-165

Acceptance and Development of Covered Open Firing in Yayoi Pottery

Tomoko Nagatomo

It is shown clearly in former research that the method of covered open firing pottery production using rice-straw was introduced with the full-scale introduction of wet-field rice agriculture in the Yayoi period. This pottery firing method was excellent in that earthenware could be heated in the circumference of the fire, stably raising temperature over many hours, different from the open firing without covering of the Jomon culture. Further, covered open firing is well adapted with the environment reclaimed by paddy field development. The question becomes, how was this firing method received and developed on the islands where paddy fields were being established? This paper considered such a subject by examining data centering on the western part of Japan.

Specifically, by observing the smoke that adheres at the time of pottery firing, the author made clear the situations of the pottery circumference, such as fuel at the firing time according to the form of the smoke, and estimated how pot-tery was placed from the existence and the position of the smoke. When examined from such a viewpoint, the following results emerge. (1) The similarity of changes of firewood fuel in the western part of Japan shows similarity in the relationship between humans and the environment, at least in the western part of Japan. (2) Regionality becomes most evident through pottery kiln insertion angle in the middle of the Yayoi period. (3) pottery kiln insertion angle at the firing time was continuous from the late stage to the terminal stage of the Yayoi period in the Okayama Plain. But, in the Osaka coastal area, traditional pots that continued from the late stage of the Yayoi period were inserted differently from the thin Shonai type pot and thin Furu type pot. Therefore, it is possible that there was a difference in the places of production between traditional pots and thin Shonai type pots and thin Furu type pots. (4) Piled up baking starts from late stages of Yayoi. In spite of the simplicity, this is a sign that efforts to increase pottery production efficiency were accepted. And it is thought that such changes were caused not only from changes of the firing method, but also from a change in pottery manufacture from a technology based on clay coiling to a process of drying pottery through a process of adjustment and ornamentation.

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Research on Production and Distribution of Cylindrical Bronze Objects

Takashi lwamoto

The purpose of this article is to rediscover the manufacture of Cylindrical Bronze Objects excavated in the Japanese Islands. In addition, the author wants to try to search for the background in which Cylindrical Bronze Objects are received in the Japanese Islands from the features of distribution, the form and shape of the mounded tombs, and other burial goods excavated together.

First of all, the mold structures of Cylindrical Bronze Objects were rediscovered based on referral to signs of production left on the objects. Next, it was found that three significant differences existed in the mould structures. It was thought that the difference in mould structure reflected a time change based on time savings and the product. In addition, this assumption was verified at the age of the component of the Cylindrical Bronze Objects in the mounded tombs and the relative dates of the mounded tombs. Moreover, it was described that some standards existed in the form of Cylindrical Bronze Objects in that they displayed a constant size.

Further, the author pointed out the possibility that signs related to the production technology of Cylindrical Bronze Objects excavated in the Japanese Islands and those excavated in the Korean peninsula are common. In a word, it was assumed that Cylindrical Bronze Objects excavated in two regions had been made under roughly the same production system. In addition, it was assumed that Cylindrical Bronze Objects had various forms in the first stage; although the standards had been lost by the final phase.

Finally, as a result of this examination, it was thought that royal prerogative did not distribute Cylindrical Bronze Objects, but the exchange of rulers in various places had brought them.

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"The Archaeology of Buildings" and its potential for architectural history : An exploration focused on the Egawa House repair report

Martin Morris

This paper stresses the relationship between archaeology and the study of historic buildings as artifacts. Through a case study of the repair report on the Egawa House (published in 1963), it explores how repair reports for Japanese historic buildings (an invaluable information resource for architectural historians) can be used as a basis for further research to deepen understanding. The report is used as the starting point for a multi-disciplinary re-appraisal of the Egawa House and its place in Japanese architectural history. An amalgamation of 2 originally independent structures, identified as kitchen and residential suite, this house was regarded by its conservators as a rare rural survival of the medieval elite warrior residential tradition of separating service and served zones in distinct structures. Through examination of both structures, comparison with precedents and parallels, and consideration of documentary and excavated evidence, it is suggested that the kitchen structure represents a combination of a brewhouse and an essentially vernacular domestic kitchen type based on prototypes of great antiquity, but realised on an unprecedented scale, using state of the art techniques in the early 17th century, while the residential building is probably a unique fragment of an early 16th century baronial residential structure moved from a nearby castle. The paper concludes that, although consciously imitative of late 16th century elite precedent, the early 17th century house was an expression of the unique position of the Egawa as newly appointed local officials (daikans) administering Bakufu estates, and (unusually) running a highly successful commercial brewery. It therefore represents the adoption of elite precedent subtly transformed to express a new reality, rather than straightforward historic continuity of house-type use by the Egawa family.

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The Origin of Utilizing Horse Chestnuts as a Food Source: Retroactive Study on Folklore Examples

Bunmei Nakui

"Cotyledon with testa (seed coat)" and "shucked cotyledon" as well as small and large pieces of seed coats of horse chestnuts excavated from archaeological sites after the Jomon period indicate that clues for understanding horse chestnut utilization of the time lie in folklore examples. Based on a correlation recognized between methods of "removing bitter taste (akunuki)" in folklore and processing of horse chestnut for each method, small pieces of seed coat excavated from archaeological sites imply that the users of horse chestnuts were removing the bitter taste out of horse chestnuts by "fermentation"" Ieaching" and "taking out starch." Focusing on physical characteristics of vessels used on each methods, it is assumed that methods of "removing bitter taste" that did not require "boiling" were developed in the Paleolithic.

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Separation of Sand Contained in Pottery and Methods for Its Chemical Analysis

Michinori Oya, Nao Yasuda, Kazumi Yokoyama, and Yoshimitsu Hirao

In order to locate pottery production sites that were not preserved as archaeological sites (such as Jomon, Yayoi and Haji potteries), it is necessary to analyze them by comparing minerals contained in the pottery with natural minerals. In this article, methods were mentioned for comparing minerals contained in pottery with natural minerals.

The alkaline fusion method is a way to take out grains of sand contained in pottery by removing clay mineral from the pottery through exposure to NaOH. Phi ( c ) scale grain size method is used to compare grain size composition of sand yielded from pottery with natural sand and sand in clay, using c scale sieve. 250 F m dichotomy method is a way to compare grains by separating sand with a sieve that has 250 F m mesh and taking minerals smaller than 250 F m.

For sand grains acquired by these methods, it is possible to identify production sites even if the sites were not preserved archaeologically, by detecting and comparing mineral modes with energy dispersive EPMA and elemental composition of the minerals using wavelength dispersive EPMA.

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A Way of Wearing "Ketsu"-Shaped Ear Ornaments()

Yasuyuki Yoshida

The name of "ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments () is derived from Chinese ornaments. They are shaped like a "C'* and have cut lines.

Two hypotheses on the main method of wearing ketsu-shaped ear ornaments are below. One way is piercing the ear lobe, inserting the "ketsu -shaped ear ornaments into that foramen and hanging them with the opening of the "C" facing down . Another is placing the ear lobe in the opening of the "C". The author thought of which hypotheses is probable in this paper. Two methods to test are reviewing cases of "ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments found with human bone, those in pairs unearthed inside burial pits and morphological research of those. In conclusion, the former method seems more likely.

Additionally, the author thought of alterations in features of ear ornaments. Ear ornaments in Early and Middle Jomon changed as follows. First came "ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments of stone. Second came "ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments of clay; third, a type of those altered plug-shaped ear ornaments. The change in geographical distribution follows. "Ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments of stone were found throughout East Asia. Clay "Ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments , were found in eastern Japan. Plug-shaped ear ornaments were similar to those of clay. Analysis of bones found with "ketsu"-shaped ear ornaments show both sexes wore the ornaments. In contrast, analysis of bones found with plugshaped ear ornaments are all female, as well as ear ornaments of deep pots decorated with masks and figures, similar to primitive plug-shaped ear ornaments in Middle Jomon period.

As described above, it appears that ear ornaments transformed into ornaments of female shamans of goddess-based religions in broad-leaved deciduous forests.

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The Distribution of Materials and Information in the Late Kofun Period.

Hiroaki Ota

The aim of this article is to clear the relationship between the central government and local society by analyzing distribution during the Late Kofun period. To carry out this aim, this article adopted gilt bronze covered harnesses and Kinai type stone chambers as materials to analyze. This is because distribution of these materials was under government control.

In analyzing these materials, attention was paid to the tendency for gilt bronze covered harnesses and Kinai type stone chambers adopted by the ruling class to incorporate design and structure changes at regular intervals. This article tried to extract types of gilt bronze covered harnesses and stone chambers which were adopted as the standard types in each period. After that, the materials adopted by local chiefs and middle class bureaucrats were analyzed in the same way, and the results of these analyses were compared with the ruling class. As a result of these comparisons, individuals who could own gilt bronze covered harnesses and Kinai type stone chambers which had same design and structure as the ruling class were theorized as those who could get materials and information from the central government.

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New Discoveries of Paleolothic Quarry Sites in Obsidian Resources: Mt. Takahara and It's Meaning

Takashi Tamura, Sadakatsu Kunitake, and Michinori Oya

Mt. Takahara (1795m), a volcano in the northern part of Tochigi Prefecture, is well known as an obsidian resource. Artifacts containing obsidian from this mountain are frequently found in Paleolithic sites in the Kanto plains. We have recognized obsidian in Mt. Takahara as a very important lithic resource for Paleolithic hunter- gatherer in the Kanto plains and there must be large Paleolithic sites related to stone quarries. But in Mt. Takahara, any traces of human activity in prehistory have never been discovered and even obvious outcrops of obsidian have never been identified. Authors and members of a lithic raw material research group (the representative of this group is Takashi Tamura, the first author of this article), started to explore obsidian outcrops and Paleolithic quarry sites in this mountain in June 2005. In July, Iarge obsidian outcrops were identified near the top of Mt. Takahara and importantly, an upper Paleolithic site, Iarger than expected, overlapping this outcrop, was discovered by our investigations. Almost all the artifacts discovered from this site are flakes related to stone knapping, but some indisputable tools, for example, micro core-like small cores, spear shaped tools, pyramid shape tools, knife shaped tools and scrapers were also discovered. Judging from these stone tools, we can understand that these outcrops discovered by our investigations were exploited during all periods of the Upper Paleolithic in this site. Through the result of excavations of this site in the future, we are sure that we will be able to obtain important data about settlement-subsistence strategies of hunter-gathers in the Paleolithic age. Finally we discussed some issues on the archaeological research projects in the future.

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