Polished stoneware - Maseisekki

This refers to stone tools that are given a final shape and function by the method of "polishing," one of the three basic techniques for stone processing. The work of grinding and reducing the size of the stone is done using a stone whetstone (sandstone), but the shape is first roughly shaped by a breaking technique, and in order to improve the efficiency of polishing, the cracked surface may also be adjusted by hammering to smooth out any unevenness. In the late Paleolithic period, there is only one locally ground stone axe. In the Jomon period, there are small locally ground stone axes, scraping stone axes, pestle-shaped stone axes, fixed-angle stone axes, small ground stone axes, non-practical stone clubs, stone swords, stone crowns, single-pronged stones, blue dragon swords, sacred stone tools, polished rock figurines with patterns engraved on them, and rock slabs. In the Yayoi period, there were polished stone axes such as thick clam-shaped bladed stone axes, flat single-edged stone axes, columnar single-edged stone axes (gouged stone axes), horned stone axes, ringed stone axes, and multi-headed stone axes, as well as stone knives, large stone knives, polished stone arrowheads, stone swords imitating metal weapons, and spindle wheels. Experiments have shown that polished stone axes are more efficient than chipped stone axes when felling standing trees. Most are made of rocks that are relatively easy to polish (sandstone, slate, schist, serpentine, etc.), but the thick clam-shaped bladed stone axes of the Yayoi period were made of hard andesite, gabbro, and diorite.

[Aio Matsuzawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

石材加工の三つの基本技術の一つ「磨く」方法によって最終的に形を整え、機能を与えた石製道具類をさす。石製の砥石(といし)（砂岩）を用いて研ぎ減らす作業が行われるが、初め打ち割る技術によって粗く形をつけておくこと、さらに磨きの効率をあげるために敲打(こうだ)によって割れ面の凹凸をならすように調整する作業もあわせて行われることがある。後期旧石器時代には唯一の局部磨製石斧(せきふ)がある。縄文時代には小形局部磨製石斧、擦切(すりきり)石斧、乳棒状石斧、定角(ていかく)式石斧、小形磨製石斧類や、非実用的な石棒、石剣、石冠(せっかん)、独鈷(どっこ)石、青竜刀(せいりゅうとう)石器、御物(ぎょぶつ)石器、磨きあげて文様を刻み込む岩偶(がんぐう)、岩版などがある。弥生(やよい)時代には太形蛤刃(ふとがたはまぐりば)石斧、扁平片刃(へんぺいかたば)石斧、柱状片刃石斧（抉入(えぐりいり)石斧）、有角石斧、環状石斧、多頭石斧などの磨製石斧類や、石包丁(いしぼうちょう)、大形石包丁、磨製石鏃(せきぞく)、金属製武器模倣の石剣類、紡錘車などがある。実験によると、立木の伐採の場合、磨製石斧は打製石斧より効率がよいという。多くは比較的磨きやすい岩石（砂岩、粘板岩、片岩類、蛇紋岩など）が用いられるが、弥生時代の太形蛤刃石斧には硬い安山岩、斑糲(はんれい)岩、閃緑(せんりょく)岩が用いられている。

［松沢亜生］

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