Archaeology of the Pearl - to discovery of the collecting site

通过文献、考古资料和田野观察等方法，对八井至古丰时期珍珠贝采集地的考古遗址进行了考察。仅在福冈县伊藤岛市的天津山遗址，在弥生至科芬时期发现了几只珍珠牡蛎的遗骸。这块天津山遗址的珠母贝将成为珍珠贝采集地的证据。另一种珍珠牡蛎P.maculata是从冲绳贝壳中晚期的考古遗址中发掘出来的。我假设这些地点也将是珍珠贝的采集地。历史上，广西合浦的珍珠蚝城堡、中国和斯里兰卡的曼纳尔湾都是众所周知的珍珠牡蛎采集地点，但这些地点的详细情况不为人知。在这次调查中，在两个地点都发现了珍珠贝遗骸，首次了解了珍珠贝的种类、废弃状况和年代。

Surveys of literatures, archaeological materials and present field observations was made to discover on the archaeological sites of collecting site for pearl oyster from Yayoi to Kofun period. Only on the Tenjin-yama site, Itoshima-shi, Fukuoka pref., several remains of pearl oyster, Pinctada fusca was detected in Yayoi to Kofun period. This Pinctada shells of Tenjin-yama site will be evidence of collecting site for pearl oyster. Another pearl oyster, P. maculata were excavated from some archaeological sites of late Okinawa shell midden age. I will suppose that these sites will be also collecting site for pearl oyster. Historically, Pearl Oyster Castle of Hepu, Guangxi, China and Gulf of Mannar, Sri Lanka were well known to collecting site for pearl oyster, but details of these sites were unknown. In this survey pearl oyster remains were discovered on both sites, species, waste condition and age were understood for the first time.