Basic Study of the Archaeological Cave Site in the Ryukyus.

本研究旨在通过对隐良部岛保须洞第四入口遗址的发掘，从考古学、动物考古学、植物考古学、骨考古学等方面，验证古须古时期（中世纪时期）洞穴使用的实际情况。并与琉球其他洞穴遗址进行了比较，根据比较结果，从以下几个方面可以推测，保寿洞第四入口遗址可能是用作祭祀场所的：洞穴规模狭窄，洞穴内部结构几乎没有平坦的侧面，洞穴内部场地阳光照射不到，底土水缺乏，从壁炉中可以确认，出土文物及其组合的稀少，废弃文物碎片的特定模式，以及在干涸的地下水道中发现的大量牛骨，只有大麦-在Gusuku时代在奄美群岛发现的大米，小麦，大麦，小米-。

This study is intended to verify actual condition of the cave use in the Gusuku period (medieval period) from archaeology, zooarchaeology, archaeobotaney, and osteoarchaeology through excavation of Hosu Cave 4th Entrance Site on Okierabu Island. And it is compared with the other cave sites in Ryukyu Islands.As a result of the comparison, it is possibly assumed that the Hosu Cave 4th Entrance site was used for ritual site by judging from the following evidences: a narrow scale of the cave, there is almost no flat side internal structure of the cave, and an inner site of the cave which sunlight does not reach, a lack of subsoil water, a scarcity of artifacts and their combination, a specific pattern of abandoned artifacts debris, and a large quantity of cow bones at dried up groundwater course and only carbonized barley -rice,wheat,barlay,millet are found in Amami Islands in the Gusuku period-, confirmed from the hearth.