THE PREHISTORIC SUBSISTENCE ACTIVITY ON THE ISLAND OF MIYAKO, RYUKYU ISLANDS.

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The excavation units of totally 12 by 4 m were set adjusting to the area excavated till the fourth term. This year's research reached Layer V. The feature of shell concentration was encountered in Layer IV, which has been interpreted as the sterile intermediate layer. There were Tridacna shell adzes, tools made of Chiragra spider conch (Lambis lambis) and bivalves and mammal bones were scarce.More than fifty Tridacna shell adzes were collected with the various types of shape at Arafu Site including surface collection. Tridacna shell also produces several other types of tools along the variation of its subspecies, as like chisels, This site contains the considerable amount of flakes and debitage of several shell species. These shells are supposed to have been brought in the site at the end of manufacturing process, considering the wide range of shell utilization. Turbo argyrostomus and Trochus niloticus Tectus together occupies the 80% of total amount of shells and were though to have been the main concern of subsistence. Turbo argyrostomus shows the drilling on their shells. Uniformity and standardization were observed on the shape of perforation and the form of shaped -out lower parts of shell. These characteristics suggest other use of this shell than diet.The research of this site is stilt ongoing. The characters of table corals and pit features still remain unresolved and require further investigations. The report of research from the first through fifth term is coming on July 2003.