Identification of wooden remains in the Ainu Culture Period excavated at the Tokorogawa Estuary Site, Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan

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  • 北見市常呂川河口遺跡から出土したアイヌ文化期の木質遺物の樹種同定
  • キタミシ トコロガワ カコウ イセキ カラ シュツド シタ アイヌ ブンカキ ノ モクシツ イブツ ノ ジュシュ ドウテイ

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Abstract

In order to gain information concerning wood utilization in prehistoric periods in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, we attempted to identify a total of 372 wooden remains from the Ainu Culture Period (A.D. 1200-1700) excavated at the Tokorogawa Estuary Site. The wooden remains included 23 taxa/species, and their proportion differed markedly. Most (276 specimens) of the 372 specimens were classified into timbers used in pit dwellings or other constructions on the basis of their shape and size. Salix was the most commonly used timbers (nearly 40 %). Such a common use of Salix is characteristic of the wooden remains examined, when compared with wooden remains in other periods at and around this site, and with those in the same culture periods in the other regions of Hokkaido. It was also notable that conifers were uncommonly used (4 %), when compared with wooden remains in other periods at and around this site. Two taxa (Fagus and Larix) that did not exist in this region were included. It seems likely that these remains had been introduced to this site by human activity in the era. Comparison of stake-like wooden remains (column shaped stem pieces with pointed ends) between narrower class (less than 5 cm in diameter) and wider class (5 cm and more in diameter), showed that Salix was the most common (43 %) in the narrower class while Quercus was most common (40 %) in the wider class. The shapes of pointed ends of the stake-like pieces were characteristic in each taxon/species and depended on their diameter.

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