Archaeological Investigations of Cave Sites in the Shimokita Peninsula

在日本北方下北半岛的白屋崎角附近，自2002年以来，我们发现了六个洞穴之一，名为“Sikkariabe洞穴”（阿部遗址）的洞穴进行了深入的考古调查。自2002年以来进行了三次挖掘，调查区域逐渐扩大，目前在约16 m^2范围内达到约2.5 m的深度。由于洞内的存款中含有大量大小不一的棱角状石灰石砾石，挖掘工作极为困难。因此，我们采用了将挖掘出的泥土全部溶解在水中，用筛子筛出遗骸的方法，调查发现，上层（1层<st>和2层<nd>）密集地存在着陶器、石器、人骨和各种动物遗骸，似乎是绳文时代后期中晚期至早期的遗骸。在最新的调查中，在上层（1层和2层）以下的4层新发现了石器和动物遗骸<th><st><nd>，在更下面的12层也发现了动物遗骸<th>。第四层出土的几件石器<th>中，有石屑制成的锥。据认为，它们可能属于绳文时代或旧石器时代的早期。此外，在上层（第1层和第2层）的石器中，新发现了旧石器时代的石刀或双面尖时产生的石片<st><nd>。从这些结果来看，可以说，如果在今后的调查中围绕4^层和12^层进一步扩大调查范围，在这个洞穴中可以同时发现旧石器时代的遗迹、灭绝动物的遗迹和人骨的可能性增加<th><th>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.