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42-715: The Sannai-Maruyama settlement was occupied from the middle of the Early Jōmon period to the end of the Middle Jōmon period (3900 – 2200 BC), and is the largest Jōmon settlement yet discovered in Japan. It is located on a 20 meter high fluvial terrace on the right bank of the Okidate River, at the tip of a ridge extending southwest from the Hakkōda Mountains . The area was first settled around 3900 BC. The first settlers of

84-494: A Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and that will contain both locational information and a combination of various information. This tool is very helpful to archaeologists who want to explore in a different area and want to see if anyone else has done research. They can use this tool to see what has already been discovered. With this information available, archaeologists can expand their research and add more to what has already been found. Traditionally, sites are distinguished by

126-406: A more sedentary lifestyle and an increase in population. Also, the large pillar structure dates to this time period. Construction on this scale implies the existence of a coordinated labor force due to the sheer size of these posts. The placement of the posts would have required the cooperation of several people. Interpretations of the use of this large post-supported platform is that it was a base for

168-424: A possible thin layer of alluvium) is left above either a stream or river channel. These bedrock terraces are the strath terraces and are erosional in nature. Paired and unpaired terraces : Terraces of the same elevation on opposite sides of either a stream or river are called paired terraces . They occur when it downcuts evenly on both sides and terraces on one side of the river correspond in height with those on

210-683: A sequence of natural geological or organic deposition, in the absence of human activity, to constitute a site worthy of study. Archaeological sites usually form through human-related processes but can be subject to natural, post-depositional factors. Cultural remnants which have been buried by sediments are, in many environments, more likely to be preserved than exposed cultural remnants. Natural actions resulting in sediment being deposited include alluvial (water-related) or aeolian (wind-related) natural processes. In jungles and other areas of lush plant growth, decomposed vegetative sediment can result in layers of soil deposited over remains. Colluviation ,

252-413: A series of platforms. Each one of these pillars was around 1 meter in diameter and was placed exactly 4.2 m (14 ft) apart. Evidence for similar large wooden structures has been found at other sites in Japan and the rest of Eurasia, including a wooden precursor to Stonehenge . Most of the wood structure, like other biological remains at the site, deteriorated due to the acidity of the soil; however,

294-494: A settled village. Evidence of this sedentary lifestyle can be found in the form of intense use of natural resources such as nuts, fish, and a wide diversity of plants, as well as changes in storage facilities. Initially, the Sannai-Maruyama site was used on a temporary basis. There were large pits used for storage and can be concealed since they were underground, which was preferred by mobile populations in many parts of

336-453: A site worthy of study. Different archaeologists may see an ancient town, and its nearby cemetery as being two different sites, or as being part of the same wider site. The precepts of landscape archaeology attempt to see each discrete unit of human activity in the context of the wider environment, further distorting the concept of the site as a demarcated area. Furthermore, geoarchaeologists or environmental archaeologists would also consider

378-403: A site. It is sometimes taken to indicate a settlement of some sort, although the archaeologist must also define the limits of human activity around the settlement. Any episode of deposition, such as a hoard or burial, can form a site as well. Development-led archaeology undertaken as cultural resources management has the disadvantage (or the benefit) of having its sites defined by the limits of

420-399: A tower, or even a shrine. The impact of neoglaciation on Sannai-Maruyama Site's disbandment around 2300 BC has contemporary implications. A decrease in temperature by 2.6 °C (4.7 °F) influenced the collapse of the settlement and civilizations in other parts of the world. The effects of global warming in relation to the effects the ancient cooling had on the site's population reveal

462-500: Is a branch of survey becoming more and more popular in archaeology, because it uses different types of instruments to investigate features below the ground surface. It is not as reliable because although they can see what is under the surface of the ground, it does not produce the best picture. Archaeologists still have to dig up the area in order to uncover the truth. There are also two most common types of geophysical survey, which is, magnetometer and ground penetrating radar. Magnetometry

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504-429: Is reached and it can transport the material rather than deposit it. This equilibrium may last for a very short period, such as, after glaciation, or for a very long time if the conditions do not change. The fill terrace is created when the conditions change again and either a stream or river starts to incise into the material that it deposited in the valley. Once this occurs benches composed completely of alluvium form on

546-629: Is the technique of measuring and mapping patterns of magnetism in the soil. It uses an instrument called a magnetometer, which is required to measure and map traces of soil magnetism. The ground penetrating radar is a method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures. There are many other tools that can be used to find artifacts, but along with finding artifacts, archaeologists have to make maps. They do so by taking data from surveys, or archival research and plugging it into

588-567: The rescue archaeology conducted at the time, including the foundations for the large six-pillared building in June 1994, Aomori Prefecture cancelled the baseball stadium project and decided to preserve the site in August 1994 as an archaeological park . After this was announced a number of the excavations were backfilled to protect the site. Since 1994, around 26 additional test excavations have been done. These excavations have resulted in around 40% of

630-433: The river channel and its floodplain. Because of the manner in which they form, fluvial terraces are underlain by fluvial sediments of highly variable thickness. River terraces are the remnants of earlier floodplains that existed at a time when either a stream or river was flowing at a higher elevation before its channel downcut to create a new floodplain at a lower elevation. Changes in elevation can be due to changes in

672-484: The area, and could only have come to this site via trade. The site also contained over 500 burial pits for adult remains, and numerous jar-burials for infants. Some burials, hypothesized to be for the social elite, were enclosed within stone circles . The settlement of Sannai-Maruyama ended around 2300 BC due to unknown reasons. Its abandonment was likely due to the population's subsistence economy being unable to result in sustained growth, with its end being spurred on by

714-583: The area, and if they have the money and time for the site, they can start digging. There are many ways to find sites, one example can be through surveys. Surveys involve walking around analyzing the land and looking for artifacts. It can also involve digging, according to the Archaeological Institute of America, "archaeologists actively search areas that were likely to support human populations, or in places where old documents and records indicate people once lived." This helps archaeologists in

756-413: The base level (elevation of the lowest point in the fluvial system, usually the drainage basin ) of the fluvial system, which leads to headward erosion along the length of either a stream or river, gradually lowering its elevation. For example, downcutting by a river can lead to increased velocity of a tributary, causing that tributary to erode toward its headwaters. Terraces can also be left behind when

798-402: The bottoms of the pillars were preserved because they were waterlogged due to their proximity to a marsh. Due to its large size, it is believed that this structure could have functioned as a monument, watchtower, or a lighthouse overlooking Mutsu Bay (which was larger than at present). Remains of other six-pillared buildings from different time periods have been found throughout the site. Many of

840-428: The burial of a site by sediments moved by gravity (called hillwash ) can also happen at sites on slopes. Human activities (both deliberate and incidental) also often bury sites. It is common in many cultures for newer structures to be built atop the remains of older ones. Urban archaeology has developed especially to deal with these sorts of site. Many sites are the subject of ongoing excavation or investigation. Note

882-845: The centerpiece of the Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan , a group of Jōmon period archaeological sites in Hokkaidō and northern Tōhoku that was recommended by Japan in 2020 for inclusion to the UNESCO World Heritage List , under criteria iii and iv . It was first placed on the World Heritage Tentative List in 2009, and was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List on 27 July 2021. The site hosted as

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924-535: The collection point for Aomori Prefecture 's Paralympic flame that was collected from around Japan to be sent to the New National Stadium in Tokyo as part of 2020 Summer Paralympics torch relay . The Sannai-Maruyama Site was inhabited by hunter-gatherers roughly between 3900–2900 BC. Over this period of time, the site changed from a seasonal camp, to the home of a more mobile society, and finally to

966-413: The deposition of the terrace. Using the resulting date and the elevation above its current level, an approximate average rate of downcutting can be determined. Archaeological park An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using

1008-418: The discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record . Sites may range from those with few or no remains visible above ground, to buildings and other structures still in use. Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a "site" can vary widely, depending on the period studied and the theoretical approach of the archaeologist. It is almost invariably difficult to delimit

1050-477: The fill terraces mentioned above, but they are erosional in origin. Once the alluvium deposited in the valley has begun to erode and fill terraces form along the valley walls, cut terraces may also form below the fill terraces. As either a stream or river continues to incise into the material, multiple levels of terraces may form. The uppermost being the fill terraces and the remaining lower terraces are cut terraces. Nested fill terraces: Nested fill terraces are

1092-420: The future. In case there is no time or money during the site's discovery, archaeologists can come back and visit the site for further digging to find out the extent of the site. Archaeologist can also sample randomly within a given area of land as another form of conducting surveys. Surveys are very useful, according to Jess Beck, "it can tell you where people were living at different points in the past." Geophysics

1134-464: The impact such a change in temperature can have on human society. Fluvial terrace Fluvial terraces are elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and fluvial valleys all over the world. They consist of a relatively level strip of land, called a "tread", separated from either an adjacent floodplain, other fluvial terraces, or uplands by distinctly steeper strips of land called "risers". These terraces lie parallel to and above

1176-814: The intended development. Even in this case, however, in describing and interpreting the site, the archaeologist will have to look outside the boundaries of the building site. According to Jess Beck in "How Do Archaeologists Find Sites?" the areas with numerous artifacts are good targets for future excavation, while areas with a small number of artifacts are thought to reflect a lack of past human activity. Many areas have been discovered by accident. The most common people who have found artifacts are farmers who are plowing their fields or just cleaning them up, and they often find archaeological artifacts. Many people who are out hiking and even pilots find artifacts, and they usually end up reporting them to archaeologists for further investigation. When they find sites, they have to first record

1218-430: The other side. Paired terraces are caused by river rejuvenation . Unpaired terraces occur when either a stream or river encounters material on one side that resists erosion, leaving a single terrace with no corresponding terrace on the resistant side. Fluvial terraces can be used to measure the rate at which either a stream or river is downcutting its valley. Using various dating methods, an age can be determined for

1260-579: The post holes from these buildings overlap each other, which suggests that the structures were being rebuilt in the same location and facing the same direction. The site also contained two middens with domestic refuse, two large mounds, containing refuse, including ceremonial artifacts. A large amount of earthenware and stoneware were recovered from these middens, including approximately 2,000 clay figures, wood products, bones and antler objects and tools, and fragments of baskets and lacquerware. Some objects made of jade , amber and obsidian were not native to

1302-471: The presence of both artifacts and features . Common features include the remains of hearths and houses. Ecofacts , biological materials (such as bones, scales, and even feces) that are the result of human activity but are not deliberately modified, are also common at many archaeological sites. In the cases of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic eras, a mere scatter of flint flakes will also constitute

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1344-628: The reduced amount of natural resources during the neoglaciation . However, during the Heian period , a portion of the site was resettled by new inhabitants who also built pit dwellings, and during the Muromachi period , a portion of the site was occupied by a medieval fortification. The presence of ruins at Sannai-Maruyama was known even during the Edo period , as travelers through the area commented in finding pottery shards and clay figurines. The first survey

1386-496: The relative elevations of the surface of these terraces. Fill terraces: Fill terraces are the result of an existing valley being filled with alluvium . The valley may fill with alluvium for many different reasons including: an influx in bed load due to glaciation or change in stream power which causes the valley, that was down cut by either a stream or river, to be filled in with material (Easterbrook). The stream or river will continue to deposit material until an equilibrium

1428-420: The result of either a stream or river downcutting through bedrock. As the flow continues to downcut, a period of valley widening may occur and expand the valley width. This may occur due to an equilibrium reached in the fluvial system resulting from: slowed or paused uplift, climate change, or a change in the bedrock type. Once downcutting continues the flattened valley bottom composed of bedrock (overlain with

1470-490: The result of the valley filling with alluvium, the alluvium being incised, and the valley filling again with material but to a lower level than before. The terrace that results for the second filling is a nested terrace because it has been “nested” into the original alluvium and created a terrace. These terraces are depositional in origin and may be able to be identified by a sudden change in alluvium characteristics such as finer material. Strath terraces: Strath terraces are

1512-463: The sides of the valley. The upper most benches are the fill terraces. As it continues to cut down through the alluvium the fill terraces are left above the river channel (sometimes 100 m or more). The fill terrace is only the very highest terrace resulting from the depositional episode; if there are multiple terraces below the fill terrace, these are called "cut terraces". Cut terraces: Cut terraces, also called "cut-in-fill" terraces, are similar to

1554-456: The site being excavated. In April 2019, the site was consolidated with the nearby museum, the Jomon Jiyūkan ( 縄文時遊館 ) . Administratively, the archaeological site and the museum had been separate entities, but now function as a single historic site. After their merger, entrance fees to the archaeological site and museum began to be collected in the museum building. The Sannai-Maruyama Site is

1596-566: The site lived in pit houses . These dwellings typically were about 3–4 meters (9.8–13.1 ft) in diameter. Over 500 pit dwellings have been found on site. Additionally, they stored their food in pits, which allowed them to hide it when they left the site since the occupants were still semi-nomadic. Around 2900, the inhabitants became more sedentary. They began to store food above ground in elevated buildings rather than in pits. Also, longhouses began showing up around this time. Long houses were large, oval-shaped structures. The longest one found at

1638-448: The site was 32 meters (105 feet) long. Scholars believe longhouses were used for meeting places, workshops, or living space. Pit houses were still being inhabited at the same time that longhouses existed on the landscape. One of Sannai-Maruyama's most famous structures, a reconstruction of a large six-pillared building, was originally built around 2,600 BC. This structure consisted of six large chestnut pillars that are believed to have held

1680-480: The volume of the fluvial flow declines due to changes in climate , typical of areas which were covered by ice during periods of glaciation , and their adjacent drainage basins. There are two basic types of fluvial terraces, fill terraces and strath terraces. Fill terraces sometimes are further subdivided into nested fill terraces and cut terraces. Both fill and strath terraces are, at times, described as being either paired or unpaired terraces based upon

1722-428: The world. A shift occurred around 2900 BC from the use of storage pits to elevated storehouses, revealed by pillar-supported structures that lack the fire pits of the pit-dwellings. An interpretation of this change was that the site's population had become more sedentary. Later in the site's record, evidence of longhouses that were built along with some pit houses were found at the site. The increase in housing also shows

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1764-539: Was conducted by Keio University and the Aomori City Board of Education from 1953 to 1967 and from 1976 and 1987 AD, the Board of Education of Aomori Prefecture and the city of Aomori conducted further excavations on the southern part of the site. The true significance of the site was not recognized until the start of construction of a prefectural baseball stadium in 1992. Due to the large number of finds during

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