Introduction

In July 2003, the news media reported the "confirmation" of the 80-90 ka age of the Kanedori site in Iwate Prefecture, and several leading archaeologists agreed that this site was now Japan's oldest "confirmed" human site. But not everyone agrees. There are questions about (1) the accuracy of the dates, (2) the accuracy of the association of the dates with the dated geological stratum, (3) the accuracy of the association of the lithics with the dated stratum, and (4) the human origin of the lithics, or broken stones. And these same questions are asked about all the other sites claimed to be older than 35,000 years.

This is a list of these sites (still, and probably always, incomplete). Those with links are discussed in more detail on separate pages. A separate list with the site names written in kanji is attached. [ kanji name list ]

I will be surprised if any of these sites ever wins wide acceptance.

Oldest Late Palaeolithic Sites

These sites are accepted by all archaeologists as valid and as probably the oldest sites in the Japanese Late Palaeolithic. They set a baseline for evaluating the sites claimed to be older.

1. Ishikohara (Nagano)
2. Nakazanya Stratum X (Tokyo)
3. Nishinodai Loc. B Stratum X Upper (Tokyo)
4. Nishinodai Loc. B Stratum X Lower (Tokyo)
5. Musashidai Stratum X (Tokyo)

Transition Middle to Late Palaeolithic or beginning Late Palaeolithic

These sites are discussed by Sato (2001) and are listed here in groups as I understand Sato's discussion, which seemed rather vague in many places. Many of these sites were criticized by Sugihara (1967) as most likely not human artifacts.

1. Gongenyama 2 (Gunma) 31-32 ka (Sato 2001, pp. 127-128, 131)
   
   (see: Sugihara 1967)

   Gongenyama 1 (Gunma) 40-42 ka (Sato 2001, pp. 127-128)
   

   (see: Sugihara 1967)

   Kirihara (Gunma) 40-42 ka (Sato 2001, pp. 127-128)

   Fujiyama (Gunma) ≤45 ka (Sato 2001, pp. 127-128)
   

   (see: Sugihara 1967)

   Nyu (Oita) (Sato 2001, p. 128)
   

   I am not sure Sato is including this as a valid site.

   (see: Sugihara 1967; Tsunoda & Mikami 1967)

   Sozudai (Oita) (Sato 2001, pp. 128-129)
   

   (see: Sugihara 1967)

   estimated age >130 ka (Okamura 2001, p. 52)

   Kami-Shimoda (Oita) (Sato 2001, p. 128)

   Tsujita (Kitakyushu City) (Sato 2001, pp. 128-129)
   

   Middle Palaeolithic (Okamura 2001, p. 52)

   Shimo-Yokota (Kumamoto) (Sato 2001, pp. 128-129)

   Matsuo (Nagasaki) (Sato 2001, pp. 128-129)

   Ushiromuta (Miyazaki) (Sato 2001, pp. 129-131)
   

   Stratum III dated 28.9-30.3 ka, calib. 33.5-34.0 ka

   Stratum IV estimated ≥40 ka

   http://himuka.org/ushiromuta/

   Ono (Kumamoto) (Sato 2001, pp. 129, 131)

   Mimikiri(?) (Kumamoto) (Sato 2001, p. 129)

   Ishinomoto(?) Area 8 (Kumamoto) 31,460-33,720 BP (Sato 2001, pp. 129, 131)

   Ryora(?) Hongo(?) (Yamaguchi) (Sato 2001, p. 129)

   Nutabura (Shizuoka) (Sato 2001, pp. 129, 131)

   Takesa Nakahara (Nagano) (Sato 2001, pp. 129, 131)
   

   (Otake 2001, 2002)

   Nojiri Nakamachi(?) (Nagano) 40 ka (Sato 2001, pp. 129, 131; Okamura 2001, p. 52)

   Kekkigamine(?) (Kumamoto) (Sato 2001, pp. 130-131)

   Nakazanya Stratum X (Tokyo) (Sato 2001, p. 129)

Middle Palaeolithic (...to 130 ka)

1. Kanedori (Iwate) (Sato 2001, pp. 130-132)
   
   Stratum III is 33.5 ka, Stratum IV probably 80-90 ka
   (see also: Kikuchi et al. 2001, 2002)

   Kashiwayamadate Ato (Iwate) (Sato 2001, pp. 130-132)
   

   Stratum IIc is 40.0 ka, Stratum IV is 80-90 ka

   (see also: Kikuchi et al. 2001)

   Hoshino (Tochigi) >31-32 ka (Sato 2001, pp. 130-132)
   

   35-400 ka (Barnes 1993, pp. 51-52)

   (see: Sugihara 1967)

Early Palaeolithic (>130 ka)

1. Kaseizawa (Aichi) (Sato 2001, p. 132)
   
   Riss Glaciation (Okamura 2001, p. 52)

Other Sites Claimed to Be >35 ka

1. Ishikohara (Nagano)
2. Nagaki(?) (Niigata, Sado Island) (see: Sugihara 1967)
3. Kaneki(?) gravel bed (Aomori) (see: Sugihara 1967)
4. Iwajuku 0 [zero] (Gunma) (Barnes 1993, pp. 51-52)
5. Nishiyagi (Hyogo) 54-80 ka (Barnes 1993, pp. 51-52; Bahn 1987; Okamura 2001, p. 60)
6. Nojiri-ko Tategahana(?) (Nagano) AMS 40 ka (Okamura 2001, p. 52)
7. Myojinyama(?) (Yamagata) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)
8. Toyama(?) (Yamagata) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)
9. Koshinyama(?) (Yamagata) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)
10. 7 other sites (Yamagata) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)
11. Kami-Yachi (Yamagata) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)
    
    (Kato 1992, pp. 38-48)

    Iwajukuyama Terayama (Gunma) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)

    Hoshino Loc. 1 (Tochigi) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)

    Fukui Cave (Nagasaki) (Okamura 2001, p. 60)

References

• Bahn, Paul G. (1987). Excavation of a Palaeolithic Plank from Japan. Nature 329: 110.
• Barnes, Gina L. (1993). China, Korea and Japan: The Rise of Civilization in East Asia. New York & London: Thames and Hudson.
• Kato, Minoru. (1992). Tohoku Nihon no Kyusekki Bunka (The Palaeolithic Cultures of the Tohoku District in Japan). Tokyo: Yuzankaku.
• 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.
• Nihon Kokogaku Kyokai Tokubetsu Iinkai, eds. (2003). Zen-Chuki Kyusekki Mondai no Kensho (Inspection of the Early and Middle Palaeolithic Problem in Japan [final report]). Tokyo: Nihon Kokogaku Kyokai (The Japanese Archaeological Association.
• Okamura, Michio. (2001). Nihon Retto no Zenki-Chuki Kyusekki Kenkyu no Tenbo (A Survery of the Research on the Early and Middle Palaeolithic in the Japanese Archipelago). Shinpojiumu: Zanki Kyusekki Mondai o Kangaeru (Happo Yoshi) (Symposium on the Fake Problem of the Early Palaeolithic in Japan [Resumes]). Sakura: Kokuritsu Rekishi Minzoku Hakkubutsukan Harunari Hideji Kenkyushitsu, pp. 45-60.
• Otake, Noriaki. (2001). Nagano-ken Iida-shi Takesa Nakahara Iseki no Gaiyo (Outline of the Takesa Nakahara Site in Iida City, Nagano 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. 121-126.
• Otake, Noriaki. (2002). Nagano-ken Takesa Nakahara Iseki (The Takesa Nakahara Site in Nagano Prefecture). Kokogaku Janaru (The Archaeological Journal), 495: 20-23.
• 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.
• Sugihara, Sosuke. (1967). "Sugihara's Hypothesis" o Yabutte Hoshii (I Want You to Destroy "Sugihara's Hypothesis"). Kokogaku Janaru, 8: 2-3.
• Tsunoda, Bun'ei, and Mikami Sadaji(?). (1967). Iwayuru "Nyu Hihan" no Mondaiten (The Problems in the So-Called "Criticisms of the Nyu Site"). Kokogaku Janaru, 11: 4-9.

Back to Index