Pit dwelling - tateanajuukyou

It is a semi-underground dwelling made by digging a circular or square hollow several tens of centimetres into the ground, constructing nearly vertical walls and a flat earthen floor, and placing a roof on top of it. It has mainly been discovered through archaeological surveys, and was one of the main dwelling styles used in Japan from the Paleolithic period to the Middle Ages. It is generally a few metres on each side or diameter, with a floor area of ​​20 to 30 square metres, making it an appropriate size for a family to live in. Inside there are several post holes as well as auxiliary facilities such as hearths, cooking stoves, storage holes, ditches and workshops, and depending on the era and region, there may also be religious remains such as buried jars, stone poles and stone altars.

From the Paleolithic period to the beginning of the Jomon period, people still lived a nomadic lifestyle and few examples have been found, but from the middle of the Early Jomon period, people began to settle down, and pit dwellings developed especially in eastern Japan. At their peak in the Middle Jomon period, there are many ruins where groups of over 100 pit dwellings spanning several generations formed circular settlements. Among these are non-ordinary examples such as large dwellings with floor space exceeding 100 square meters, paving stone dwellings made of flat stones, and many religious remains and artefacts. From the Yayoi period through the Kofun and Nara periods, they became common in western Japan as well, and by the Heian period, the plan had become square and the hearths had become standardised to kamado, a style that continued into the Middle Ages.

Although they have the advantage of being suited to the Japanese climate, with cool summers and warm winters, and are easy to rebuild, they also have drawbacks such as being humid, the durability of the roof structural materials, and being prone to fires. Recently, architectural research has progressed, but there are many points that remain to be studied in the future regarding the diverse changes and evolutions of these structures over time and across regions.

[Shoichi Higuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

地面を円形や方形に数十センチメートル掘りくぼめて、垂直に近い壁や平らな土間(どま)の床をつくり、その上に屋根を架した半地下式の住居である。おもに考古学的調査で発見され、日本では旧石器時代から中世まで使われた主要な住居様式の一つである。一般的には、一辺あるいは径が数メートルで、床面積が20～30平方メートルの、一家族が住むのに適当な広さをもつ。内部には数本の柱穴(ちゅうけつ)のほか、炉(ろ)、かまど、貯蔵穴(けつ)、溝、工房などの付属施設や、時代や地域によっては埋甕(うめがめ)、石棒、石壇(せきだん)などの宗教的遺構が付随することもある。

　旧石器時代から縄文時代初頭にかけては、まだ移動生活が多く発見例は少ないが、縄文早期中ごろからは定住化が進み、とくに東日本を中心に竪穴住居は発展する。最盛期の縄文中期には、数世代にわたる100軒を超える竪穴住居群が環状集落を形成する遺跡も少なくない。なかには床面積が100平方メートルを超える大型住居、平石を敷き詰める敷石(しきいし)住居、宗教的遺構・遺物を多出するなどの一般住居以外の例もある。弥生(やよい)時代から古墳・奈良時代になると西日本でも普遍化し、平安時代にはプランが方形に、炉がかまどに統一されるなどして中世まで続く。

　夏涼冬暖という日本的風土に適した利点や、建て替えの容易さもあるが、多湿や上屋構造材の耐久度とか火災になりやすい難点もある。最近では建築学的な研究も進んでいるが、時代や地域による多様なその変化・変遷は今後の研究にまつ点が多い。

［樋口昇一］

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