Misplaced Pages

Iwaidō Caves

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Iwaidō Caves
岩井堂洞窟
Iwaidō Caves
Location in JapanLocation in JapanIwaidō CavesShow map of Akita PrefectureLocation in JapanLocation in JapanIwaidō Caves (Japan)Show map of Japan
LocationYuzawa, Akita, Japan
RegionTōhoku region
Coordinates39°02′51″N 140°24′09″E / 39.04750°N 140.40250°E / 39.04750; 140.40250
Altitude190 m (623 ft)
Typesettlement
Area4,342.96 m2
History
PeriodsJōmon period
Site notes
Discovered1900
Excavation dates1962-1970, 1976
Public accessYes (Museum on site)
National Historic Site of Japan

The Iwaidō Caves (岩井堂洞窟, Iwaidō dōkutsu) is an archaeological site containing the ruins of a Jōmon period cave dwelling located in what is now part of the city of Yuzawa, Akita in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1978.

Overview

The Iwaidō Cave is located on the right bank of the Ogatsu River, which joins the uppermost stream of the Omono River, in swamps deep into the mountains near the border between Akita Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture, at an altitude of 190 meters. The ruins are composed of four large and small caves in a tuff outcrop with a total length of about 80 meters, and a height of two to eight meters The caves were used as dwellings in the Jōmon period, and a relic inclusion layer was found in each cave.

The caves were explored by local archaeologists around the year 1900, and a number of earthenware and stone artifacts were recovered from Cave 2. However, it was not until 1962 to 1970, and in 1976 that a series of comprehensive excavations were undertaken by the Akita Prefecture Board of Education.

Cave 1 was occupied by a Shinto shrine and contained only a small amount of late Jōmon period earthenware. Because the cave and vestibule are small, it was deemed that the cave was only irregularly used.

Cave 2 was found to have seven layers of relic deposits to a depth of about 1.2 meters. The lowest layer contained a group of pointed earthenware from the early Jōmon period, and each of the subsequent layers had artifacts of late middle and late Jōmon pottery, final-Jōmon pottery, and finally Haji ware and Yayoi period earthenware in a stratified manner.

Cave 3 was shallow, but had a thick deposit level in its vestibule, and excavations were conducted to a depth of about three meters. The uppermost layers contained Yayoi period artifacts, but several intermediate layers were barren. It is estimated that the lowest layer may contain Jōmon or pre-Jōmon artifacts.

Cave 4 is the largest and best preserved of the sites, and contained the largest amount of relics. The depth of the cave is shallow, but the front is about four meters long, and the vestibule had a flat surface with a length of around 20 metes. A total of 14 layers from topsoil to bedrock were confirmed, and with a depth of eight meters. Artifacts were found in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th layers. The first layer contained earthenware, Yayoi pottery, late Jōmon period pottery, the third layer contained late Jōmon period pottery, the fifth layer contained early Jōmon period artifacts, and the seventh and lower layers belong to the early Jōmon period. The style of earthenware excavated from the 11th and 13th layers was almost unknown in the Tōhoku region at the time of the survey, and was an extremely important archaeological discovery. Many stone tools have also been excavated, including a sarcophagus, polished stone axes, and other items. In the 7th layer, burnt earth, considered to be furnace remains, was discovered.

From the above, it was determined that the site has been used as a residence for several thousand years, except for and unexplained gap in the middle of the Jōmon period.

The caves are not open to the public, but there is a small museum housing some of the discovered items and a diorama. It is located approximately 25 minutes on foot from JR East Ōu Main Line Innai Station.

See also

References

  1. "岩井堂洞窟" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.

External links

Prehistoric cave sites, rock shelters and cave paintings
Europe
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Finland
France
Vézère Valley World Heritage Site
Bara Bahau
Bernifal
Cap Blanc
Castel Merle
Abri Castanet
Reverdit
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
Abri Audi
Abri Chadourne
Les Combarelles
Cro-Magnon
Font-de-Gaume
Laugerie-Basse
Laugerie-Haute
La Micoque
La Mouthe
Pataud
Abri du Poisson
Lascaux
La Madeleine
Rouffignac
Other World Heritage Sites
Chauvet
Other caves with decoration
Arcy-sur-Cure
Gargas
Cosquer
Cussac
Fontéchevade
La Chaire a Calvin
La Marche
Lombrives
Grotte de Gabillou
Marsoulas
Le Mas-d'Azil
Mayrières supérieure
Niaux
Pair-non-Pair
Pech Merle
Roc-aux-Sorciers
Renne
Trois Frères
Villars
Other caves
Arago
Aurignac
Azé
Balauzière
Bonne-Femme
Bouillon
Bruniquel
Calès
Cauna
La Chapelle-aux-Saints
Combe Grenal
La Ferrassie
Fées
Fontbrégoua
Lazaret
Le Moustier
Noisetier
La Quina
Raymonden
Le Regourdou
Rochereil
Vallonnet
Germany
Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura World Heritage Site
Bockstein
Geissenklösterle
Hohle Fels
Hohlenstein-Stadel
Sirgenstein
Vogelherd
Other caves
Baumann's
Brillenhöhle
Kleine Feldhofer
Lichtenstein
Ofnet
Gibraltar
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Jersey
Kosovo
Luxembourg
Malta
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain World Heritage Site
Altamira
Caves in Cantabria
Chufín
Covalanas
La Garma
Hornos de la Peña
Monte Castillo
El Castillo
Las Chimeneas
Las Monedas
La Pasiega
El Pendo
Tito Bustillo
Altxerri
Santimamiñe
Los Aviones
Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin World Heritage Site)
Araña
Roca dels Moros
Other World Heritage Sites
Atapuerca
Siega Verde
Other caves with decoration
Bacinete
Barranc del Migdia
Las Caldas
Los Casares
Maltravieso
los Murciélagos
Nerja
Niño
Ojo Guareña
Peñas de Cabrera
la Pileta
Praileaitz
Sidrón
Other caves
Ángel
Antón
Armintxe
Axlor
Bedmar
dels Bous
Don Gaspar
Guanches
El Mirón
Santa Catalina
del Valle
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Asia
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Cambodia
China
East Timor
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Laos
Lebanon
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Thailand
TurkmenistanDzhebel
Turkey
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Africa
Algeria
Botswana
Cameroon
DR Congo
Egypt
Kenya
Lesotho
Libya
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Somaliland
South Africa
Cradle of Humankind, World Heritage Site
Bolt's Farm
Cooper's
Drimolen
Gladysvale
Gondolin
Haasgat
Kromdraai
Makapansgat
Malapa
Minnaar's
Motsetsi
Plovers Lake
Rising Star
Sterkfontein
Swartkrans
Other caves
Blombos
Border
Boomplaas
Byneskranskop
Cango
Diepkloof
Elands Bay
Howieson's Poort
Klasies River
Melkhoutboom
Nelson Bay
Pinnacle Point
Sibudu
Stadsaal
Wonderwerk
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
North and South America
Argentina
Aruba
Belize
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Curaçao
Dominican Republic
Jamaica
Mexico
Peru
Suriname
United States
Oceania
Australia
Guam
Hawaii
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Northern Mariana Islands
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Tuvalu
Categories: