ARCHAEOLOGIA JAPONICA

Early Modern
AKAMATSU Waka
2011 saw many disasters such as the earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku andTyphoon No. 12. Once again we felt the menace of nature, and so many precious lives
were lost and cultural properties were damaged. Acts to support damaged culturalproperties began right after the earthquake. In such a harsh environment, study ofmodern archaeology in fiscal 2011 yielded many results.
For castle study in East Japan, earthquake-related projects were outstanding. Urgent
measures for damage repair were reported on 12 castles in Tohoku region, at the 6th
conference of Kita Nihon Kinsei Jokaku Kentokai, “Higashi Nihon Daishinsai ni Yoru
Jokaku no Hisai (Damage to Castles from the East Japan Earthquake).” Excavation
research was conducted mainly to confirm and reorganize damage, and this trend is
expected to continue in the next fiscal year. In West Japan, castle study was often tied up
with preservation and maintenance projects. Site tours were conducted for the remains ofToyama Castle, Wakayama Castle, and Okayama Castle. Excavation reports werepublished for Kumamotojo site, Matsue-jokamachi site, and so on. As for castle town
study, research results were outstanding for the castle towns of Edo and Osaka. Features
to solve problems of garbage disposal in Edo were discovered at Yotsuya-yonchome site,
and features to verify garbage disposal at Yotsuya-yonchome site were yielded from the11th excavation of Saieicho site in Shinjuku Ward. For Osaka castle town, many
excavations were done for kurayashiki (mansions with warehouses). A certain amount ofNabeshima ware potteries were excavated from the remains of a kurayashiki owned by theSaga feudal clan. Discussions on how Nabeshima ware that was used as offering gifts
were brought to kurayashiki were interesting. Also, Archaeological Journal, No. 623
featured essays reporting seven examples of modern city archaeology. Since comparison
between sites hasn’t been done enough for archaeology, it has contributed much to themodern city study. While study on machiya (merchants’ residences) is most active in
Edo and Osaka, studies on transition of land utilization and ceramic chronology wereconducted in Itamigocho site and Hyogotsu site. More attention should be given toharbor towns and agricultural towns.

1Unavailable from data protection reasons

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TRENDS IN ARCHAEOLOGY IN JAPANAs for ceramic study there were many verifications of technological lineage in the past
few years. However, this fiscal year saw discussion on “acceptance” such as Kinsei Toji
Kenkyukai’s “Bakuhan Taiseika de Reinen Kenjo Sareta Tojiki (Ceramics Offered Every
Year under Bakuhan System)” and Bizen Rekishi Forum’s “Bizen to Chato: Chado noShiten Kokogaku no Shiten (Bizen and Tea Ceramics: Views of Tea Ceremony andArchaeology).” As for pottery study, Edo Iseki Kenkyukai held “Edo Zaichikei
Kawarake no Seiritsu (Formation of Edo Local Pottery),” that clarifiedclassification/technical lineage of pottery (kawarake) and its distribution, and discussed
the relationship between pottery and the ruling class. As for museum exhibitions,exhibitions that mainly used archaeological data were held at Kagoshima University
Museum called “Yakimono Zukuri no Kokogaku: Kagoshima no Jomon Doki karaSatsuma Yaki Made (Archaeology of Pottery Making: from Jomon Pottery to SatsumaWares),” at Tokyo National Museum called “Tohen no Bi (Beauty of Ceramic Pieces),” atSetokura Museum called “Rusu to Yobareta Yakimono: Mindai Seto no Aratana Kokoromi(Ceramic Called Rusu: the New Trial of Modern Seto),” and at Tokishi Mino Toji
Rekishikan called “Mino Momoyamato no Seisan: Chato no Ryuko to Kamaba no Kosei(Production of Mino Momoyama Ceramics: Popularity of Tea Ceramics andCharacteristics of Kilns)” and so on.
As for underwater archaeology, fiscal 2011 was the last year of the three-year project ofAsian Research Institute of Underwater Archaeolgy, “Umi no Bunka Isan Sogo ChosaPurojekuto (Cultural Heritage of the Sea Research Project)” and it could be said that
sea-bed and lake-bed sites in Japan became widely known by the past activities.
As for overseas exchanges, “Nanban Boeki to Tojiki (Nanban Trade and Ceramics)” washeld in the 32th Boeki Toji Kenkyu Shukai, where Nanban trades were verified mainly
using research results of Bungo Otomo Clan related sites. Fiscal 2011 saw excavation
research of graves related to feudal lords (daimyo) conducted. Publication of ToeizanKaneiji Tokugawa Shogunke On’urakata Reibyo (Mausoleum of Tokugawa Shogunate atKaneiji Temple, Mt. Toei) and Hikone Hanshu Iike Bosho Kotokuji Iikebosho Chosa
Hokokusho Siteihen/Hozon/Seibihen (Excavation Report for Grave of Ii Clan, the Feudal
Lord of Hikone) were important research results to study daimyo graves.
Research results of animal archaeology and preservation science for cultural properties
have been accumulated over the past ten years. The 15th conference of Dobutsu KokoKenkyu Shukai had research presentations by IKEDA Ken, “Osaka Shiroshitacho AtoShutsudo no Kairui Kenkyu no Genjo to Kadai (Present Situation and Issues of Shell
Study Excavated from Osaka Shiroshitacho Ato Site),” and by Maruyama Masashi,“Kobeshi Hyogotu Iseki ni Miru Kinsei no Suisanbutsu Riyo (Modern Period Utilizationof Sea Resources Seen in Hyogotsu Site, Kobe City).” “Chukinsei Toshi Iseki ni Okeru
Kinzoku Seihin no Seisan to Kako (Production and Processing of Metal Products in© Japanese Archaeological Association75

ARCHAEOLOGIA JAPONICA

Modern City Sites)” was held at the 23rd conference of Kansai Kinsei Kokogaku
Kenkyukai, and although not many reports were made on metal production techniques andproduction systems of the modern period, it was a big result that particulars ofidentification were clarified for metal production/processing features.
Fiscal 2011 continued to see active modern excavation research/study. On artifacts,
there were a symposium and some research presented on bricks. The symposium,“Renga Seisan to Kindai Kokogaku (Brick Production and Modern Archaeology)” washeld by Osaka Rekishi Gakkai, and details are contained in Historia No. 231. As forexcavation research, outstanding were publication of Ariokajoseki Hakkutsu Chosa
Hokokusho XVI (Excavation Report on Ariokajoseki XVI) on a brick-piled press platform(for brewing) which was an introduction of Nadagogo technique; and KIDACHI Masaakiand others, “Gendai Kyoyaki Yoseki no Kokogakuteki Kento: Kyotoshi Gojosaka/Dosen
Kagaku Seitosho Youseki no Hakkutsu Chosa to Minzoku Chosa (ArchaeologicalExamination of Modern Kyoyaki Kiln Site: Excavation and Folklore Research of Dosen
Chemical Ceramic Kiln Site in Gojoszaka, Kyoto City).”
As for exhibitions,“Bakumatsu Saga no Kindaika Sangyo Isan (Industrial Heritage of Modernization in Sagaat the End of Tokugawa Shogunate)” was held at Saga Prefectural Art Museum and“Tatara Seitestu to Kindai no Makuake (Tatara Iron Making and Opening of the ModernEra)” at Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo. There were many important discoveries
and exhibitions in order to learn modern industrial technology.
Thus, trends of fiscal 2011 modern archaeology were overviewed. This fiscal year
continued to see many studies on pottery and ceramics. Although many of the studies
were on classification/chronology/technical lineage as in the past, discussions that gobeyond traditional study were also outstanding. On the other hand, there are studies that
depend heavily on documents and pictures. In recent years, animal archaeology andpreservation science for cultural properties are yielding big results, and we should actively
utilize such natural scientific analysis.

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