Aku ruins

Japanese: 阿久遺跡 - あきゅういせき

<br /> A Jomon period site in Kashiwagi, Hara Village, Suwa County, Nagano Prefecture. It is located on a hill with a ridge that is 200m wide at its widest point, stretching westward between the Aku River and the Ohaya River. In the Early Jomon period, large settlements were formed in suitable locations on the southwest foot of Yatsugaoka, where the hills on the ridge developed. These are called the Yatsugatake Southwest Foothills Ruins Group, and the Aku Ruins is an Early Jomon period site that is notable for its horseshoe-shaped settlement. There are large ruins mainly from the Middle Jomon period in the surrounding area, such as the Togariishi Ruins in Chino City to the north of Hara Village and the Idojiri Ruins in Fujimi Town to the south. The Aku Ruins is an important site that shows the transition to the Middle Jomon culture, as the structure and transition of the settlement, the distinctive remains of the post-hole structure, the stone belt surrounding the square, and the stone pillars and stone rows in the center reveal the period. The settlement underwent major changes over three periods: the Sekiyama, Kurohama , and Moroiso A and B periods. During the Sekiyama period, a circular plaza was established on the hilltop with a residential area 30-70m wide surrounding it, and the remains of post-hole structures discovered in the plaza are important remains that are thought to be buildings or fences. The Kurohama period plaza was surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped residential area, but no post-hole structures have been excavated. The Moroiso A and B periods saw a major change in the structure of the settlement, with a circular plaza established on the hilltop with a stone circle 25-45m wide surrounding the perimeter, and the residential area outside of that. The stone circle, which has never been seen before, is a collection of river stones gathered in a small area, consisting of around 10 stones. Twelve groups were found within the survey area, and they have a strong ritual element. In the center of the circular plaza stands a 1.34m-tall stone pillar, surrounded by flat stones in a circle and a passage-like structure consisting of two pairs of large flat stones to the northeast, which is thought to have functioned as the center of the settlement and plaza. Some of the excavated pottery and stone tools are on display at the Prefectural History Museum in Chikuma City and the Hara Village History and Folklore Museum (Yatsugatake Art Museum). It is about a 20-minute drive from JR Chino Station on the Chuo Main Line.

Source: Kodansha National Historic Site Guide Information

Japanese:

長野県諏訪(すわ)郡原村柏木にある縄文時代の遺跡。阿久川と大早川に挟まれて西に延びる、尾根の幅が最大で200mある丘陵上に位置する。縄文時代前期には尾根上の丘陵が発達した八ヶ丘西南麓の適地を選んで大規模な集落が形成され、八ヶ岳西南麓遺跡群と呼ばれるが、阿久遺跡は馬蹄形集落として注目される縄文時代前期の遺跡である。原村の北には茅野(ちの)市の尖石(とがりいし)遺跡、南には富士見町の井戸尻(いどじり)遺跡群など、周辺には縄文中期を中心とする大遺跡が存在する。阿久遺跡は集落の構造と変遷、特色ある掘立柱遺構、広場を囲む配石帯と中央の石柱・石列などからその時代をうかがえ、中期縄文文化への移行を示す重要な遺跡である。関山(せきやま)期、黒浜(くろはま)期、諸磯(もろいそ)A・B期の3期にわたって大きく変化ており、関山期には丘陵上に円形広場を設けてその外周に幅30～70mの住居域をめぐらせ、広場から発見された掘立柱遺構は建物か囲柵とされる重要な遺構である。黒浜期の広場は周囲に馬蹄形の住居域があるが、掘立柱遺構は発掘されていない。諸磯A・B期には集落の構造に大変化が見られ、丘陵上に円形広場を設けて外周には幅25～45mの配石帯（ストーンサークル）がめぐり、その外側に住居域がある。これまでに例のない配石帯は、河原石を小範囲に集めた集石で、10基前後の集石からなる集石群である。調査地区内では12群が見られ、祭祀的要素が強く、円形広場中央には高さ1.34mの石柱が立ち、その周囲を平石で円状に囲んで北東へ大きな平石を2枚ずつ対にした通路状遺構があり、集落や広場の中心としての機能を果たしていたと思われる。出土した土器や石器の一部は、千曲(ちくま)市の県立歴史館や原村歴史民俗資料館（八ヶ岳美術館）で公開されている。JR中央本線茅野駅から車で約20分。

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