Settlement patterns and lithic resource environment of the Palaeolithic in the middle of the Shinano river.

本研究计画以信浓川中段之古石器聚落型态与石器资源环境为研究对象，特别以松原遗址为研究对象。地点A、B、C是该遗址的三个重要组成部分，均位于信浓川晚更新世阶地上。考古特征的人工制品组合是各种形式的小尖工具，雕刻机和刮刀。地点A和C扎营的时间完全相同，这是用四个改装的石片验证的。主要的岩屑物质包括硅质硬页岩、硅质凝灰岩和玻璃状结构安山岩。黑曜石有，但数量很少，近两年来，我们在项目资金的支持下，对B地点进行了发掘，以阐明该地点的性质。从石器组合和点式工具的特征来看，A、C、B地点在类型和地质地层上属于同一时期。相反，地点B的石器使用差异很大。主要物质是页岩，根本没有黑曜石。黑曜石和硅质硬页岩的地质物源距离现场近百公里。在这种情况下，如果在Mattobara现场附近可以获得页岩，则可以与岩性资源采购一起出发两个不同的人类迁移区域。该项目还重建了与Mattobara遗址相同年代的信浓河床。

This research project focuses on the settlement patterns and lithic resource environment of the Palaeolithicin the middle of the Shinano river with particular interests of the Mattobara site. Location A, B, and C are essential three parts of this site, and they all located on the Late Pleistocene terrace of Shinano river. Archaeological characteristics of the artifact assemblage are various forms of small Point tools, gravers, and scrapers. Location A and C encamped exactly the same period which were verified with four refitted lithic flakes. Major lithic material comprises of siliceous hard shale, siliceous tuff, and glassy textured andesite. Obsidian is available but very small amount.In these two years, we have excavated at Location B supported by this project fund, in order to elucidate the character of this location. In view of lithic artifact assemblage and characteristic features of Point tools, location A, C, and B are belonging to the same period typologically as well as geologic stratigraphy. On the contrary, lithic use at location B is differ widely. Dominant material is shale and with no obsidian at all. Geologic sources of obsidian and siliceous hard shale are distant from the site nearly a hundred kilometer. In this context, if the shale was obtainable near by Mattobara site, two different human migration area may possible to set out, in conjunction with lithic resource procurement. This project has also reconstructed the Shinano river bed in the same age of Mattobara site.