Maritime Archaeology in Hamanaka 2 site on Rebun Island, Japan: preliminary peport of field research from 2011 to 2016

Summary

Since 2011, BHAP and JSPS Core to Core program have been conducted the joint archaeological investigation at Hamanaka 2 site on Rebun Island, Northern Japan. This site has been recognized as important sand dune site that provided well-preserved archaeological materials date back to middle Jomon period (ca. 5,500 - 4,500 cal BP). Interdisciplinary studies conducted by participating scholars produced significant outcomes in archaeology, physical anthropology, molecular biology, paleobotany and radiocarbon dating. Until today, we gradually gained our knowledge of the site structure. Hamanaka 2 has five major archaeological periods in the same area. On the one hand, broadly distributing shell midden layers formed during Okhotsk cultural periods (ca. 1,500 - 900 cal BP) contained rich fish and sea mammal remains with a few human remains. On the other hand, other Jomon (late - final), Epi-Jomon and Historical Ainu layers represent different site function because of less fish and shell remains. Despite of these differences, there are marine-related ritualistic evidences from different cultural components that suggest physical and mental connection between people and marine resources. In this paper, authors report current results of research on Hamanaka 2 and discuss differences and similarities of in-site activity with excavated evidence.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Investigating the Hunter-Gatherers of Lake Baikal and Hokkaido: Integrating Individual Life Histories and High-Resolution Chronologies   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15699