TRENDS IN ARCHAEOLOGY IN JAPANAncientDEURA Takashi1
Study trends of ancient study is overviewed by introducing outstanding excavation
research, symposiums, excavation reports and theses related to the ancient in ﬁscal 2015.
On transportation, discussion from various viewpoints were carried out under
the theme “umaya within multi-period sites” at the 18th convention of Kodai Kotsu
Kenkyukai. [NEMOTO Yasushi “Saitamaken Tokorozawashi Azumanoue Iseki(Azumanoue Site in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture),” KINOSHITA Minoru“Tochigiken Nasukarasuyamashi Chojagataira Iseki to Sono Shuhen (Chojagadaira Sitein Nasukarasuyama City, Tochigi Prefecture and its Surroundings),” KOMIYA Toshihisa“Kozukenokuni Nitta Gunga to Shuhen no Iseki (Nitta Gunga in Kozukenokuni andSurrounding Sites),” FUKUDA Hideo “Fukushimaken Hironomachi Sakurada IV Iseki(Sakurada IV Site, Hirono Town, Fukushima Prefecture),” KISHIMOTO Michiaki“Harimanokuni Shouyama to Kanren Isekigun (Uyama in Harimanokuni and RelatedSites),” SUZUKI Toshinori “Ibaisekigun to Totomi no Kodai Kotsu (Iba Sites andAncient Transportation of Totomi),” WATANABE Akihiro “Shutsudo Moji Shiryo
kara Ibaisekigun wo Kangaeru (Thoughts on Iba Sites Based on Excavated Writings),”
KANEGAE Hiroyuki “Chiho Kanga Kenkyu no Rekishi to Genjo (History and Presentof Local Government Ofﬁce Study)”].
On capital city study, Jorisei/Kodai Toshi Kenkyukai ed., Kodai no Toshi to Jori
(Ancient Cities and Jori) (Yoshikawa Kobunkan) was published. It is divided into ancientcities and Jori, and in the ancient city part outlines were given on capital cities, regionalcities represented by Dazaifu/Tagajo, and provincial centers in ﬁve Ki and seven Do
based on the latest research results.
As for regional government ofﬁces, study was active on Kozukenokuni and results
have been accumulated. A large warehouse that was considered hoso with a tiled roof
was conﬁrmed at the remains of Shoso in Tago County, Kozukenokuni. Ordinarily tileroofed store houses are seen in Shimotsuke and Hitachi and further north, and this is
the ﬁrst example from Kozukenokuni. The historical background for introducing tileroofed storage is very interesting. At Kozukenokuni Nittagunchoato, a part of Shosoin
1 c/o

Cultural Properties Protection Division, Isesaki City, 2–410 Imaizumi, Isesaki City, Gunma
372–8501, Japan
E-mail address not disclosed
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JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 5 (2017): 65–66

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ARCHAEOLOGIA

spreading around the county ofﬁce was additionally designated as a historical site, and it
was renamed “Kozukenokuni Nittagugeato.”
As for temple/ritual study, Archaeological Journal had a special featured article“Local Government Temples and the Ritsuryo Nation.” [SUDA Tsutomu “SoronChiho Kanji no Seiritsu to Monmucho Daikandaiji (Formation of Local Government
Temples and Great Government Temples in Emperor Monmu’s Era),” NISHITA Noriko“Kudaradaiji to Daikandaiji (Kudara Great Temple and the Great Government Temple),”YAMAGUCHI Koichi “Shimonoyakushiji,” FUJIKI Kai “Koriyama Haiji (Koriyama
Discarded Temple),” KAJIWARA Yoshimitsu “Kokubunji Seiritsu no Yoso (Aspects ofthe Formation of Kokubunji).” Archaeological Journal No. 680, New Science Co.] In hisarticle, Suda argued that Dazai Kannon Temple and Shimotsuke Yakkushiji Temple wereplanned as the ﬁrst regional government temples, but it was not realized. He concluded
that what promoted realization of the plan was regional Buddhism policy linked withconstruction of Daikandaiji which were promoted with compilation of Taiho Ritsuryo
and so on.
Special mention should be made on artifact/features study to a special featured article
in Archaeology Quarterly Vol. 131 on pit structures. The contents varied from various
facilities of pit structures, hearths, roles, and related study. In the article, KIRYU
Naohiko discussed the importance of a term tateana tatemono (pit structure) and disputed
use of tateana jukyo (pit dwelling) that had been used in the past [“ ‘Tateana Tatemono’Kenkyu no Kanosei (Possibilities of ‘Tateana Tatemono’ Study),” Archaeology Quarterly
Vol. 131, Yuzankaku]. Excavated examples of pit structure is the most abundant in
number in Japanese excavation research, and in eastern Japan, it often yielded in thehundreds. However, few studies specialize in pit structures among features study, and therole of this article seems signiﬁcant.
As for excavated writing data, TAKASHIMA Hideyuki organized characteristics ofpottery with ink writing or engravings and its nature as study material, the relationshipwith other artifacts with writing (wooden tablets, branded letters, and copper seals) thatwas excavated with the pottery, as well as shapes of writing [Takashima, Hideyuki.
“Nihon Kodaison Shutsudo no Sumigaki/Kokusho Doki no Kihonteki Seikaku wo
Megutte (Thoughts on the Basic Nature of Pottery with Ink Writing or EngravingsExcavated from Ancient Villages in Japan)” Nihon Kodai Kokogaku Ronshu (JapaneseAncient Archaeology), Doseisha]. Takashima concluded that it is not enough to interpretthe writing itself in analysis of pottery with ink writing and engravings, but information
within the writing data could be withdrawn to the maximum by systematic examinationof characteristics of each artifact, excavated situation, and other artifacts excavated at
the same time, and by consistently interpreting and understanding discrepancies such
artifacts mutually hold.
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