Nagoya University
NagoyaUniversity

Radiocarbon datingof ancient Japanese document
andkohitsugire
calligraphy

Oda Hirotakai),Masuda Takashi2),Ikeda Kazuomi3) and Nakamura [[bshioi)
1) CenterfbrChronologicalResearch,Nagoya University
2) AichiBunkyo Univer'sitM3) Chuo University

AMS

radiocarbon

datingon allcient Japanesedocuments,sutras

History isa reconstruction

form of documents,records, relics,materials
for historicalstudies,reconstruction

ofhumanbooks of known age

isremainedin thefolktraditionand so on. Ancientdocuments are indispensable
andin particular the written ages are essential for theofpast

human activities,andevidence

ofwhichactivities.

For the analysis oflong'lived nuclide, accelerator mass spectrometry(AMS)was developedin 1977,AMS reduced the sample lossfor i4C analysis to only a few milligramsof carbon
andradiocarbon
datingbecame applicable to ancient documents.Radiocarbonage can be converted tocalendar
age with the calibration
curve. However,wooden
samplegenerally may have a calibrated
age older than the historicalage due to tree ring and the storage
the calibrated
years. Therefore,
age is strictly diffbrentfrom the historicalage when
the doeument was written. The essential
or archaeologiealmaterials
besidesancient documents isto pursuit
purpose of datingon historicalthe historicalage whenthey had been used as tools.Beforethe application
radiocarbon
datingto
ancient
documents,the relationships between ealibrated radioearbon
age and historicalage should
be clarified.
We measured
radiocarbon
agesof the aneient
documents,sutras and printed books.of
known age. The results indicatedthat there islittle
age andgap between the ca!ibrated radiocarbon
the historieal
age ofJapanese
itwas concluded
that the Japanese paper isapaper; consequentlMsuitablesampleforradioearbon
dating.Japanese paper had been made mainly from deciduoustrees:fozo, thmpi and Mlrtsumata.
AncientJapanesedocuments,therefore,belongto a eategory ofwoodensample.
Howeveg fresh branches grown within a few years were eut selectively forJapanese papeg sinee the fiberofthe old branch isnot suitable forpaper manufacture
and yields
withinpaper of poor quality In addition, fozo pape; mostpopular Japanesepapeg isusually used
Indian ink on it.Nthough theone year, because long'preserved paper dose not fitto write with
document written on old paper gives an older radiocarbon
age, such document is paleographicallyreeognizable

due to suchby the blue of ink. The littlegap between the calibrated
tradition andcharacteristics

in manufacturing

and

usage

age

andofJapanese

the historicalage

ispaper.

-56
NII-Electronic Library Service

Nagoya University
NagoyaUniversity

AMS

dating of kobltsugihecalligraphy

radioearbon

is a paper fragment of calligraphy

ibeeJ}ft)hitst(gfrom anoldmanuscriptinmainlywrittenin1ftimakui:ato AD794"1333).The old manuscripts
writtenperiods (correspondthese periods are rarely discovered
as complete
books.Kbhitsngire
paper fragments,therefore,holdliteraryand paleographical studM because of theirpotentiallysignificant information forhistorieal,
antique
handwritingand descriptionon historicalincidents.There are, howeve4 many copies andthe lilbianandcounterfeits

in several

writtenkohitsirg]lez)fragmentsattributed
ofthe

ancient

manuscriptto the famous calligraphists.

While the writtenage

be generally presumed by the paleographical views,

cankohitsugite
leaves with only
We have been working on radiocarbon

ascertain

in Edo period (AD1603J1867),
anionglatez mainly

centuries

whetheror

thethe author

it is diffieult
tofew calligraphica} linesare genuine or not.
datingfocusedon ancient Japanese docurnentof

aknown age. The previous study indicated that calibrated radiocarbon
ages of Japanese paper are inwith corresponding
historicalages of the documents.We, therefore,started
thisgood agreement
study

dating of kohitsugitecalligraphy

on radiocarbon

Someexamples

to AiLn'waf:a1foze whocalligraphy

wasbillowingin the skyit wasis onethe paper

libne flourished as

ealligraphy

subjectof study

andin Japanese history.Thiscalligraphists

decorated withindigotblue'dyedfibeg as ifelouds

7bhikurnagam]: By radiocarbon
in the late 10th orwritten

a calligraphist

the famous

ofsheetSuch paper is calledthat theshown

on

main

given below. Itsumethonchakakugire is a kohistuge'recalligraphy

wereattributedwritten

in 1999. This is my

11th century

early

this kohitsugirveis thedating ofthis

oldestkohitsugile,

when

exampleare.FIin'wai:athe extant

among

7bbikumagami
Iilifiwaza7bika andrnany

counterfeits

mingling

Prinee Munetaka
among

anthology

with'anof Shingon sect andthe calligraphM

however, suggests

wasstylewritten

ofwell"known

well'counterfeited

Kamakura

periodin the 14th century

andkahitsugirecalligraphy

by radiocatbon

to themcalligraphists

is genuine or

whois a(?'1179)

to Shunkan

Recent study

that the handwriting of Mivvagite i's not by Shunkall andradioearbon

andis surelynotbyof fokinwakashu

as a tragic hero ofl'at'uriplay

By(ADI192-1333).

asdating.

fbrkohitsugrteleaves frQm the manuscripts

also well-known

famousAlthough it is difificult
onlyidenticalformat. swvp:agr'Je
had been attributed

Buddhist monk

on

also

their genuine calligraphies.

to judgewhetherpaleographical viewpointnot,wefound three counterfeits
attributed

Itt[lr'wagire
is a generic namearedating, it wasshown

on

takes

that Miwagire

by Shunkall.

･-57-

NII-Electronic Library Service