[ Shell mound that we learned in Japanese history ] Learned that the people of the Jomon period dumped the remaining shellfish as garbage after eating the shellfish, which was accumulated over many years, but in fact, it was also thought that it was a salt production factory after processing the shellfish. Has been done.
About 2500 shell mounds have been found in Japan.
A quarter of it is concentrated near Chiba prefecture on the east coast of Tokyo Bay, making it the largest densely packed shell mound in the world. In addition, it is often found in places where tidal flats have developed, such as Sendai Bay and Osaka Bay.
Naturally, shell mounds are distributed not only in Japan but also in the coastal areas of East Asia such as China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Russian Far East, even from a global perspective. Shell mounds have also been found on the northwest coast of Canada, the Atlantic coast of the United States, and Europe centered on Denmark.
What I learned from my research on shell mounds
The study of shell mounds was carried out in Denmark in the 19th century.
At first, it seemed that it had accumulated naturally, but it was thought that it was artificially made because not only shells but also animal bones, stone tools, earthenware, etc. were discovered.
Depending on the location, there are shell mounds made only of shells, but in the shell mounds where others were found, food shavings, damaged earthenware and stone tools, burnt soil and ash were found.
The first study in Japan was the Omori Shell Mound in Ota Ward, Tokyo, discovered by American zoologist Edward S. Morse in 1877. There, shells, earthenware, clay figurines, stone axes, stone swords, deer / whale bone fragments, human bone fragments It was thought that the shell mound was a garbage dump at that time because of the excavation.
Even though it was a waste at that time, it was very valuable for studying this era when there were no historical materials such as letters. All of these excavated items from the Omori Shell Mound were Important Cultural Properties of the country in 1975. It is specified in.
Life in the Jomon period as seen from the shell mound
The Japanese archipelago is an acidic soil, and organic matter such as bones in the soil melts and disappears.
However, in shell mounds, the soil is kept alkaline by the abundant calcium carbonate contained in a large amount of shells. Therefore, the carcasses and skeletons of animals found in the shell mound are well preserved, and the shell mound is a valuable archaeological site from the viewpoint of zooarchaeology.
The oldest shell mounds in Japan are Nishinojo shell mound in Chiba prefecture and Natsushima shell mound in Kanagawa prefecture. It is believed to be in the early Jomon period around 7500 BC, depending on the pottery excavated.
The Japanese archipelago around this time was cooling and eruptions of Mt. Hakone and Mt. Fuji . So, food shortages such as nuts and animals became chronic. To survive in such a harsh environment. It is thought that the reason why the shell mound was created was that the people of the Jomon period focused on eating habits centered on marine products that are not easily affected by cooling.
The clams found in the Yoshigo Shell Mound in Aichi Prefecture at the end of the same Jomon period are often large enough to eat, and it is speculated that people at that time also chose to fish so that resources would not be exhausted.
Is the shell mound really a garbage dump?
In shell mounds all over Japan, it seems that there are cases where you can find the bones and human bones of animals that are thought to be things or pets after the shells have been cut and holes have been made and used as accessories. It may be that the shell mound had a role similar to a graveyard, collecting everything that had finished its role, rather than the concept of a garbage dump.
Considering that people, pets, and food are irreplaceable, the shell mound is not a place to store waste, but it seems that you can feel the sacredness that comes from the kindness of the Jomon people.