Kamikuroiwa Rock Shelter Site - Kamikuroiwa Rock Shelter Site

Japanese: 上黒岩岩陰遺跡 - かみくろいわいわかげいせき

<br /> A rock shelter site from the Jomon period in Kamikuroiwa, Kumakogen Town, Kamiukena County, Ehime Prefecture. A "rock shelter site" is a site where a protruding rock face is used as a roof, and Kamikuroiwa Site is located at the bottom of a 30m high folding screen-shaped limestone cliff on the river terrace on the right bank of the Kuma River. In 1961 (Showa 36), a pottery fragment was discovered by Takeguchi Yoshiteru, who was a junior high school student at the time. As a result of five investigations conducted from that same year, it was discovered that the rock shelter had been used for nearly 10,000 years, from the early to late Jomon period. It was designated a national historic site in 1971 (Showa 46). Layers 1 to 9 contain artifacts, and in particular, the 4th layer contains over 20 buried human bones from the early Jomon period, and the 9th layer contains pottery with fine ridge patterns, tongue-shaped pointed vessels, scrapers, pebble vessels, and rock slabs with inscriptions on pebble, which are the oldest artifacts from this period and are valuable materials. One notable excavated item is a hip bone pierced by a deer antler javelin ( 4th layer ) . As it is the hip bone of a woman who has given birth and there are other similar wounds, it is said that it was not the result of combat, but was pierced either while she was alive or shortly after death, and may have been a posthumous ritual. Also of interest is a pebble with an inscription of a goddess image (9th layer). This is called a Venus image, and is a female figure drawn on a pebble using a sharp flake tool, and it has been pointed out that it may have been an object of worship. This is the first time such a female figure has been excavated in Japan, and from the same stratum also emerged pottery dating back approximately 12,000 years, which was one of the oldest in the world at the time of discovery. The excavated items are on display at the Kamikuroiwa Ruins Archaeological Museum, and the layer containing the artifacts in the shade of the rock has been hardened and preserved through scientific processing, allowing cross-sections to be observed. From Matsuyama Station on the JR Yosan Line, take the JR Shikoku bus to the Kamikuroiwa Ruins stop, and it is a short walk away.

Source: Kodansha National Historic Site Guide Information

Japanese:

愛媛県上浮穴(かみうけな)郡久万高原(くまこうげん)町上黒岩にある縄文時代の岩陰遺跡。「岩陰遺跡」とは張り出した岩盤を屋根代わりに利用した遺跡のことで、上黒岩遺跡は、久万川右岸の河岸段丘にある高さ約30mの屏風状の石灰岩の断崖下にある。1961年（昭和36）、中学生だった竹口義照が見つけた土器片がきっかけで、同年から5回にわたる調査の結果、縄文時代草創期から後期までの1万年近くにわたって使われてきた岩陰であることが判明した。1971年（昭和46）に国の史跡に指定された。第1層から第9層までに遺物が包含され、とくに第4層の縄文時代早期における20体をこえる埋葬人骨や第9層の繩文時代創草期における細隆線文土器、有舌尖頭器(ゆうぜつせんとうき)、削器、礫器(れっき)、礫石に線刻した岩版などの遺物は、この時代最古の遺物であり貴重な資料となっている。注目される出土物に鹿の角の投げ槍が刺さった腰骨がある（第4層）。経産婦の腰骨であり、同様の傷はほかにもあることから、戦闘によるものではなく、生前または死後まもなく突き刺れたものであって、死後儀礼の可能性もあるといわれる。また、女神像を線刻した礫（第9層）も注目される。ビーナス像といわれ、鋭利な剥片石器を用いて女性像を礫に描いたもので、信仰の対象だった可能性が指摘されている。こうした女性像が出土したのは日本では初めてであり、同じ地層からおよそ1万2000年前の、発見当時としては世界最古級の土器も出土した。出土品は上黒岩遺跡考古館に展示されており、岩陰内の遺物包含層は科学的処理によって固められて保存され、断面を観察できる。JR予讃線松山駅からジェイアール四国バス「上黒岩遺跡前」下車、徒歩すぐ。

出典　講談社国指定史跡ガイドについて　情報

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