TRENDS IN ARCHAEOLOGY IN JAPAN

Early Modern
OGAWA Yuji1
Early modern and modern archaeology research trends are overviewed herein throughintroduction of excavation research, symposia, theses, and excavation reports from ﬁscal
2016.
Excavation of castles was continuously conducted due to preservation projects.
Research was conducted at Saishoyama site in Osaka City to conﬁrm the existence of“Sanada-maru,” a fort assumed to have been constructed in the winter campaign of theSiege of Osaka (1614), but no clear evidence was found. It has drawn much interest, suchas a symposium titled ‘“Sanadamaru” to Rekishigaku (“Sanadamaru” and History).’
Excavation research continued to be conducted on castle towns including Edo, and thisﬁscal year, Christianity related sites drew peoples’ interest. It became a hot topic when ahuman bone excavated from “Kirishitan-yashiki-ato” (Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo), a Tokyo’s
historic site, was conﬁrmed to belong to Father Sidotti, an Italian missionary who hada large inﬂuence on Japanese history. Excavation reports of this excavation, Kirishitanyashiki-ato (two volumes) are evaluated as results of collaboration among archaeology,
physical anthropology, and document history.
As for production sites, there were many symposia and excavation reports on stone
walls and quarries due to excavation of castle walls. As for excavation of kiln sites,
related facilities and akae (red painting) kiln remains as well as over glaze painting
products were excavated from a settlement site next to the national historic site Yanbetakama-ato. It became clear that all the processes from molding to over glaze painting
were done at Yanbeta kiln, which produced so called “Kokutani.”As for pottery/ceramics study, there were two symposia on ceramic manufacturing:the 44th convention of Japan Society of Oriental Ceramic Studies “Nihon Jiki no Soushito Tenkai: Edo Zenki wo Chushin ni (Founding and Development of Japanese Ceramics:
Mainly on Early Edo),” and a research presentation by Okinawa Archaeological Society,“16–17 Seiki no Okinawa ni Okeru Yogyo no Tenkai to Sono Haikei (Development ofCeramics in 16th to 17th Century Okinawa and Its Background).” As for publications,
Chukinsei Tojiki no Kokogaku (Archeology of Medieval and Early Modern Ceramics)
1 c/o Archaeological Research Unit, The University of Tokyo, 4–6–1 Komaba, Meguro Ward, Tokyo

153–8904, Japan(ogawa.yuji@aru.u-tokyo.ac.jp)

JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 6 (2018): 75–76© Japanese Archaeological Association75

JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 6 (2018): 75–76

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ARCHAEOLOGIA

volume 3 to 5 were published from Yuzankaku, and many discussions on various topics
were presented on early modern alone.
Thus, the trend of ﬁscal 2016 was that many studies were on ceramics, and they tended
to be minutely divided and deepened. Also, as for excavation reports, active cooperation
with related ﬁelds are seen despite today’s harsh research situation, and many researchers
tried to grasp a site more multilaterally.
As for modern sites, attention was given to excavation research of Zenshoen-gakuenatochi within the National Sanatorium Tama Zenshoen. Excavation yielded a moat
surrounding patients’ quarters which was a result of insufﬁcient understanding ofHansen’s disease, but it is important to hand down such “negative history.” Modern sites
may not be excavated unless they overlap with sites of other periods, and it is undeniable
that modern research may have limitations. Information gained from excavation is still
not adequate, and urgent measures are desired also from the viewpoint of future researchand site protection.

© Japanese Archaeological Association76