TRENDS IN ARCHAEOLOGY IN JAPANAncient
YODA Ryoichi1
Fiscal 2017 ancient study was active with many events and publication of theses, while
study with a viewpoint from the so-called the Establishment, such as capital cities, regional
government ofﬁces, and temple remains occupy the major part, and on the other hand,
individual study on settlement and artifacts stayed low-keyed.
Discussions were exchanged on relationship between transport and Buddhist facilities
and the situation of road maintenance and management, mainly from examples of theSanin-do, for which excavation is progressing in recent years at Kodai Kotsu Kenkyukai.
Also, progress was seen in individual research in Kai/Awa. Historia featured theses on
topographical change, ﬁshery activities, and handicraft manufacturing on the developmentof Naniwanimiya-kaso site and northern tip of Uemachi Plateau. Jorisei/Kodai Toshi
Kenkyukai considered the majesty of ancient cities and temples. Tojosei Kenkyukai
examined conditions of natural disasters and rescue of the weak seen in excavated artifacts
from Heijokyo/Heiankyo. Kodai Shuraku/Kanga Kenkyukai conducted comparative
examination of the transition in administrative areas of local government ofﬁces, mainlywith examples in Tagajo, Hitachi Kokucho, Izumo Kokucho, Dazaifu, the former
Naniwanomiya, and so on. Kodai Josaku Kanga Iseki Kentokai exchanged discussions on
characteristics of Iwaki and Iwase provinces, commemorating their 1300th anniversary,
based on the latest excavation results on county ofﬁces (gunga), temples, mounded graves,settlements, and pottery. Also, a symposium was held on Koma County in Musashi Province
to commemorate its 1300th anniversary. It revealed the nature of three ancient temples in
the county: Onakage Haiji, Odera Haiji, and Takaoka Haiji. KAJIWARA Yoshimitsu Kodai
Chiho Jiin no Zoei to Keikan (Construction and Scenery of Ancient Local Temples) analyzed
tendencies in location selection of ancient temples based on examination of examples inOmi Province and ten other provinces. Excavation reports were published for Todaiji,Takamiya Haiji, and Tajima Kokubunji. As for settlement study, opinions were exchanged
on changes in movement of settlements in the 6th to 7th centuries AD mainly in West Japanon Hisutoria and the December conference of Kodaigaku Kenkyukai. Kodai KawaraKenkyukai examined tile manufacturing techniques of ippoonzukuri and ichimaizukuri
1 Kokubunji City Board of Education, Contact address undisclosed(E-mail address undisclosed)JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 7 (2019): 101–102© Japanese Archaeological Association

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JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 7 (2019): 101–102

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based on examples nationally and revealed that ways of acceptance were different in eachregion, although it was considered before that the techniques were spread simultaneouslyat the time of constructing kokubunji . Research Institute of Cultural Properties, Teikyo
University tried to grasp the actual situation of massive relocation of Fushu/Ifu between
the end of the Nara period to the beginning of the Heian period based on archaeologicalphenomena. Multilateral analysis was conducted on pottery engraved with poems (waka)
excavated from Kekachi site in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, from Japanese philology,archaeology, and document history. Kodai no Iruma wo Kangaerukai examined productionin Minamihiki/Higashikaneko kiln sites that supplied to Musashi Kokubunji. A symposium
was held with themes of ancient Izumo Province, volcanic disaster, Ritsuryo period society
in southern Kyushu, and so on.

© Japanese Archaeological Association102