Research of chronology and regional differences in Early-Middle Paleolithic in Japan

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In1964, Pro. Chosuke Serizawa of Tohoku University excavated Sozudai Site, Ooita Pref., Southwestern Japan. Vie compared these stone implement groups with the East Asian materials in lower Paleolith and assumed that they had been made about 100,000 years ago. In this study, we re-excavated this site after an interval of 37 years, and obtained new materials from there.We compared them with the other Japanese materials which had been obtained 30,000 years ago based on chronological data and regional differenses.As aresult, the stone implement groups of Sozudai Site are divided into the 4 stages as follows. 1) The stone implement group of stage 1 excavated from the andesite gravel bed layer, and it is the oldest among the stone implement groups of Japan. This stage is seen after the forming of Shimosueyoshi terrace and the nearly age when deceding of Kuju-Shimosakataand Aso-4 Tephra This age might be 90,000 -110,000 years ago. 2) The stone implement group of stage 2 is similar to Hoshino Site after 60,000-70,000 years ago. 3) The stone implement group of stage 3 is similar to Kanetori Site about 50,000 years ago. 4) In the stage 4, the stone implement group is similar to Magano Site in the beginning of Late Paleolith. In the stage 2, the regional differences occured in the stone materials and the feature of stone implements.