Archaeological Investigations of Cave Sites in the Shimokita Peninsula

在日本北部下田半岛的矢崎角附近，自2002年以来发现的6个洞穴之一的“西卡里亚贝洞”（阿部遗址）进行了密集的考古调查。自2002年以来，已进行了三次挖掘，调查范围逐渐扩大，目前已达到约16 m^2范围内约2.5 m的深度。挖掘工作极其困难，因为洞穴中的沉积物中含有大量大小不一的角状石灰岩砾石。因此，我们采取的方法是将挖掘出的土壤全部溶解在水中，并用筛子将残留物取出。本次调查发现，上层（1^< 1 >层和2^< 2 >层）密集分布着陶器、石器、人骨和各种动物遗骸，可能是绳纹时代中后期早期的遗存。它为我们带来了有关绳纹时代狩猎、捕鱼和丧葬仪式的宝贵发现。在最近的调查中，在上层（1^<st>和2^<和>层）以下的4^< >层中新发现了石器和动物遗骸，在远低于12^< >层中也发现了动物遗骸。从地下4层出土的几件石器包括由石片制成的锥子。据推测，它们可能属于绳纹时代的早期或旧石器时代。此外，在埋藏在上层（1^<st>层和2^< and >层）的石器中，新发现了旧石器时代雕刻器或双面尖时产生的石片。从这些结果来看，如果在未来的调查中进一步扩大4^< >和12^< >层的调查范围，可以说在该洞穴中发现旧石器时代遗骸、灭绝动物遗骸和人骨的可能性增加了。

An intensive archaeological survey has been conducted at the cave named "Sikkariabe Cave" (Abe Site), one of the six caves we have discovered since 2002 near Shiriyazaki Cape in the Shimokita Peninsula in northern Japan. In the excavation which has been performed three times since 2002,the survey area was gradually expanded and now reached up to a depth of approximately 2.5 m in about 16 m^2 range. Excavation was extremely difficult because the deposit in the cave contained a large quantity of angular limestone gravels of various sizes. Therefore, we adopted a method to dissolve all the excavated soil in water and to take out remains using a sieve.From this survey, we found that the upper layers (1^<st> and 2^<nd> layers) densely contained earthenware, stone implements, human bones and various animal remains, which appear to be the remains of the mid-end to early latter Jomon Period. It brought us valuable findings concerning hunting, fishing and interment rituals during the Jomon Period.In the latest survey, stone implements and animal remains were newly found from the 4^<th> layer existing below the upper layers (1^<st> and 2^<nd> layers), and also animal remains were discovered from the 12^<th> layer existing far below. Several stone implements that were unearthed from the 4^<th> layer included awls made of stone flakes. It is considered that they may belong to the very early days of the Jomon Period or the Plaeolithic Age. In addition, stone flakes that were produced when making gravers or bifacial points-belonging to the Plaeolithic Age-were newly discovered among the stone implements buried in the upper layers (1^<st> and 2^<nd> layers). From these results, it can be said that the possibility has increased that the remains of the Plaeolithic Age, the remains of extinct animals and human bones can be found together in this cave, if the survey area is further expanded around the 4^<th> and 12^<th> layers in the future survey.