Kanedori Site

MIDDLE PALAEOL.	JAPAN'S NEW MIDDLE PALAEOLITHIC RESEARCH
	Kanedori Site

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by Charles T. Keally
May 1, 2004
last revised: May 3, 2004

Location: Miyamori Village, Iwate Prefecture

Excavations: 1985, 2003

Date: Stratum 2: 23,580±450 BP (Gak-13090)
Stratum 3: 50 ka (confirmed)
Stratum 4: 85 ka (confirmed)

Summary: Stratum 2 yielded 2 flakes in the 1985 excavation (Kikuchi et al. 2001). Stratum 3 yielded 31 lithics, including an ax, a discoidal core, a chopper, 6 scrapers, 13 flakes, 5 chips and 3 burnt pebbles. Stratum 4 yielded 9 lithics -- an ax, 2 scrapers, 3 choppers, 1 chopping tool, 1 flake and 1 chip, and a clump of 18 charcoal fragments. But the 2003 excavations found no human artifacts in either stratum.
The dates have been confirmed by ¹⁴C, TL and tephra chronology. The dates of the tephras in Stratum 4 range from 110 ka to 85 ka. The artifacts were close to the Aso 4 tephra, dated 85 ka. A tephra dated 50 ka was found in the lower part of Stratum 3.

Discussion

Kobayashi Tatsuo (Shizen Shuho 2003) feels the Kanedori lithics are valid artifacts and accurately dated -- "The lithics have no repeated forms, like those preceding the advent of standardized stone tools. They are convincing as lithics older than 30,000 years." He (Kanedori 2003) goes on to say, these artifacts, dates and interpretations "are the results of careful excavation and study, and are the expectable results. I [Kobayashi] think this site should be given special attention among the very few old sites. These recent results will likely make Kanedori the type-site for this period."

Tozawa Mitsunori (Ito 2004) also seems to feel the Kanedori lithics are valid and accurately dated: "Proper academic study confirming the age has a great meaning. This marks the start of studying cultures older than 30,000 years ago."

Takeoka Toshiki (2004) feels the Kanedori lithics from the oldest stratum are certainly (n=3) or probably (n=4) natural geofacts rather than human artifacts. The 8th lithic is definitely an artifact, he says, but he feels it is probably intrusive from a younger stratum.

My interpretation is that the oldest lithics are geofacts.

References

Excavation Reports

Kikuchi, Kyoichi, et al. (1986). Kanedori Iseki (The Kanedori Site). Iwate Prefecture, Miyamori Village: Miyamori-mura Kyoiku Iinkai.
Kanedori Iseki Dai-2-ji Hakkutsu Chosa (The Second Excavation of the Kanedori Site). http://www.echna.ne.jp/~miyavilsg/kanedori/

Articles

Kikuchi, Kyoichi, Takeda Yoshio, and Kanedori Iseki Chosadan. (1985). Iwate-ken Miyamori-mura Kanedori Iseki no Kyusekki Hoganso ni tsuite (On Palaeolithic Strata at the Kanedori Site in Miyamori Village, Iwate Prefecture). Tohoku Chiri 38(1): 64-65.
Kikuchi, Kyoichi, Takeda Yoshio, Kumagai Tsunemasa, Komukai Hiroaki, Nakagawa Shigeki, and Takahashi Gisuke. (2001). Iwate-ken Kanedori Iseki, Kashiwayamadate Ato Sairon (Re-evaluation of the Kanedori Site and the Kashiwayama Manor Remains in Iwate Prefecture). Dai-15-kai Tohoku Nihon no Kyusekki Bunka o Kataru Kai -- Yokoshu (Resumes from the 15th Meeting for the Discussion of the Palaeolithic Culture in Northeastern Japan), held in Akita City, December 22-23, pp. 97-120.
Kikuchi, Kyoichi, Takeda Yoshio, Komukai Hiroaki, Kumagai Tsunemasa, Nakagawa Shigeki, and Takahashi Gisuke. (2002). Iwate-ken Kanedori Iseki (The Kanedori Site in Iwate Prefecture). Kokogaku Janaru (The Archaeological Journal), 495: 6-10.
Sato, Hiroyuki. (2001). Nihon Retto no Zenki-Chuki Kyusekki Jidai o Kangaeru -- Fujimura-shi Hikanyo Shiryo kara no Mitoshi (Considering the Japanese Early and Middle Palaeolithic from Materials not Associated with Fujimura). Dai-15-kai Tohoku Nihon no Kyusekki Bunka o Kataru Kai -- Yokoshu (Resumes from the 15th Meeting for the Discussion of the Palaeolithic Culture in Northeastern Japan), held in Akita City, December 22-23, pp. 127-142.

News Articles

2003

Ito, Kazushi. (2003). Saiko no Sekki, Futatabi Mitsukaru ka (Will the Oldest Artifacts Be Found Again?). Mainichi Shinbun, August 27, p. 8.
Kachi Aru "Saiko" Rissho (Proven Value as "the Oldest"). (2003). Iwate Nippo, July 7. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, September 2003, pp. 19-20.
Kanedori Iseki (Miyamori) ga Kokunai Saiko: Sekki Shutsudoso wa 9man-8man Nen Mae (The Kanedori Site [Miyamori] is the Nation's Oldest: Stratum Yielding Artifacts is 80,000-90,000 Years Old). (2003). Iwate Nippo, July 7. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, September 2003, pp. 18-19.
"Kokunai Saiko" ni 300-nin (300 People Visit the "Nation's Oldest"). (2003). Iwate Nippo, September 14. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, November 2003, p. 28.
Kyusekki Chiso ni Hirogari (Expansion into the Palaeolithic Strata). (2003). Iwate Nippo, September 12. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, November 2003, p. 28.
Miyamori, Kanedori Iseki HP Kaisetsu (The Kanedori Site in Miyamori Opens a Web Site). (2003). Iwate Nippo, September 6. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, November 2003, p. 27.
Nendo-nai ni Kanedori Iseki no Nendai o Tokutei (The Kanedori Site Dates to Be Confirmed within This Fiscal Year). Iwate Nippo, September 20. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, November 2003, p. 29.
Nihon Saiko to Kakunin: Iwate Kanedori Iseki Shutsudo no Sekki (Japan's Oldest Confirmed: Artifacts from the Kanedori Site in Iwate). (2003). Nikkei Shinbun, July 7.
Shizen Kagaku-teki Shuho de Nendai Urazuke (Confirmation of the Dating by Natural Scientific Methods). (2003). Iwate Nippo, July 7. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, September 2003, p. 20.
Shutsudo no Sekki Nihon de Saiko: 9-8man Nen Mae (The Artifacts are Japan's Oldest: 90,000-80,000 Years Ago). Hokkaido Shinbun, July 7, p. 1.
Zen Hitei kara Kyujin "Fukkatsu": Kanedori Iseki de Kokunai Saiko no Sekki Kakunin (Early Homo Sapiens "Resurrected" from Complete Denial: The Nation's Oldest Artifacts Confirmed at the Kanedori Site). (2003). Hokkaido Shinbun, July 7, p. 28.
2004
Ito, Kazushi. (2004). Kenkyu Saikochiku no Shuppatsu Ten: Kotonaru Sokuteiho de Nendai Isho (A Starting Point for Rebuilding the Research: Different Dating Methods Give the Same Date). Mainichi Shinbun (Tokyo), March 5. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, May 2004, p. 13.
Kaida, Nobihiro. (2004). Kokunai Saiko no Kyusekki Iseki Kakunin (Confirmation of the Oldest Palaeolithic Site in Japan). Mainichi Shinbun (Tokyo), March 5. Reprinted in Bunkazai Hakkutsu Shutsudo Joho, May 2004, p. 12.
Takeoka, Toshiki. (2004). Kansatsu, Bunseki ni Tashika-na Me o (Accurate Views in Observation and Analysis). Asahi Shinbun (Yukan), May 15, p. 17.

Location:	Miyamori Village, Iwate Prefecture
Excavations:	1985, 2003
Date:	Stratum 2: 23,580±450 BP (Gak-13090) Stratum 3: 50 ka (confirmed) Stratum 4: 85 ka (confirmed)
Summary:	Stratum 2 yielded 2 flakes in the 1985 excavation (Kikuchi et al. 2001). Stratum 3 yielded 31 lithics, including an ax, a discoidal core, a chopper, 6 scrapers, 13 flakes, 5 chips and 3 burnt pebbles. Stratum 4 yielded 9 lithics -- an ax, 2 scrapers, 3 choppers, 1 chopping tool, 1 flake and 1 chip, and a clump of 18 charcoal fragments. But the 2003 excavations found no human artifacts in either stratum. The dates have been confirmed by ¹⁴C, TL and tephra chronology. The dates of the tephras in Stratum 4 range from 110 ka to 85 ka. The artifacts were close to the Aso 4 tephra, dated 85 ka. A tephra dated 50 ka was found in the lower part of Stratum 3.