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The Iyai Project and Excavations at the Site

The Iyai Project and Excavations at the Site

　The excavation of the Iyai rock-shelter site was initiated by the Kokugakuin University Archaeology Laboratory in 2014 for the purpose of studying the origin and development of the Jomon culture and has been carried out for nine seasons to date (2023). The academic research has been conducted in conjunction with the university’s archaeological fieldwork. As the archaeological investigations have progressed, a number of important findings have been made, including the unearthing of numerous human skeletal remains from the Jomon period and the discovery of an artificial ash deposit containing large quantities of animal and plant remains. In view of the large research budget required to carry out long-term investigations and the undertake necessary scientific analysis, the project has received Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and has established a collaborative research organization comprising of researchers specializing in fields such as anthropology and DNA analysis. The following is a list of the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research that we have received.

  • JSPS Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) 17H00939 (FY2017-2020) Principal investigator: Yasuhiro Taniguchi
    “A Prehistoric Research Project on Human Ecobehavioral Systems and the Formation of Jomon Culture during the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition”
  • JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) 21H04983 (FY2021-2025) Principal Investigator: Yasuhiro Taniguchi
    “Social Organization and Burial Systems of Semi-Sedentary Hunter-Gatherers: reconstruction of prehistoric societies through advanced bio-archaeology

The excavations conducted to date are as follows:

  • 1st Investigation (IY1)      August 18 – August 29, 2014
  • 2nd Investigation (IY2)     August 13-August 24, 2015
  • 3rd Investigation (IY3)      August 2 – August 13, 2016 and September 5 – September 17, 2016
  • 4th Investigation (IY4)      August 22-September 18, 2017
  • 5th Investigation (IY5)       August 22-September 21, 2018
  • 6th Investigation (IY6)       August 21 – September 19, 2019
  • 7th Investigation (IY7)       August 17, 2021 – September 19, 2021
  • 8th Investigation (IY8)       August 8, 2022 – September 24, 2022
  • 9th Investigation (IY9)      August 3, 2023 – September 22, 2023”

　The nine excavations to date have taken a total of 270 days and have covered approximately 24m2 of the area inside the rock shelter, 4m2 of the terrace in front of it, and 27m2 of the gentle slope that leads down from it. Materials unearthed include human skeletal remains, pottery, stone tools, shell artifacts, bone tools, animal bones, and plant remains, most of which date to the Initial Jomon period. The results of first five excavations have already been published in the reports “Archaeological Research at the Iyai Rock Shelter Site” (Taniguchi and Asakura eds., 2017), “Archaeological Research at the Iyai Rock Shelter Site II” (Taniguchi ed., 2020), and “Archaeological Research at the Iyai Rock Shelter Site III” (Taniguchi and Obinata eds., 2023). We plan to publish the results of the sixth and subsequent excavations sequentially. In addition, the results of research on human skeletal remains that were discovered during the first five excavations have been published in “Study of Human Remains from Iyai: Society and Burial System of the Initial Jomon People” (Taniguchi ed. 2023, Rokuichi Shobo).

Research Organization and Division of Roles

　The research roles and responsibilities are divided among the three teams, Archaeology, Anthropology, and DNA, with the Principal Investigator (Yasuhiro Taniguchi, Kokugakuin University) supervising the overall study.

Archaeology Team

Team Leader: Yasuhiro Taniguchi – In charge of the excavation of the Iyai rock-shelter site, collection of analytical materials, and archaeological research on the ecological behavior and burial systems of the Initial Jomon people.

  • Taniguchi Yasuhiro (Kokugakuin University, Principal Investigator) Excavation of the Iyai rock-shelter site, research on social organization, burial systems, settlement patterns, and material culture
  • Ichiro Obinata (Kokugakuin University, Research Associate) 3D measurement and mapping of excavated human skeletal remains
  • Yuichiro Kudo (Gakushuin Women’s College, Research Associate) Dating, matching site formation and environmental history
  • Arata Momohara (Chiba University, Research Collaborator) Reconstruction of regional vegetation history and paleoenvironment
  • Akihiro Yoshida (Kagoshima University, Research Collaborator) Reconstruction of regional vegetation history using pollen analysis
  • Hiroo Nasu (Okayama University of Science, Research Associate) Identification of excavated plant materials and reconstruction of plant utilization
  • Yuka Sasaki (Kanazawa University, Research Collaborator) Identification of plant seed impressions on pottery surface and reconstruction of plant utilization
  • Kyomi Yamazaki (Kokugakuin University, Research Collaborator) Identification of excavated animal bones from the archaeological site, reconstruction of animal utilization
  • Taiji Kurozumi (Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, Research Collaborator) Identification of excavated shellfish
  • Masaki Eda (Hokkaido University Museum, Research Associate) Identification of excavated bird bones
  • Mugino Kubo (The University of Tokyo, Research Collaborator) Microwear analysis of excavated Sika Deer Molars
  • Shuji Ninomiya (Tokyo Gakugei University, Research Associate) Material analysis of archaeological materials (pottery and stone tools) and estimation of their provenance
  • Toru Tateishi (National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, Research Associate) Material analysis of archaeological materials (pottery and stone tools) and estimation of their provenance
  • Yutaka Daikuhara (Kokugakuin University Tochigi Junior College, Research Associate) Analysis of lithic artifacts and stone tools, and estimation of the provenance of obsidian
  • Maiko Miura (Teikyo University, Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Research Associate) Material analysis of archaeological materials (pottery and stone tools) and estimation of their provenance
  • Manabu Kasai (Research Collaborator, National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Teikyo University) Petrographic analysis of pottery, analysis of ash deposits
  • Kunio Yoshida (The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Research Associate) Analysis of pottery adhesives, analysis of ash deposits
  • Nobuo Miyauchi (The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Research Collaborator) analysis of pottery adhesives

Anthropology Team

Team leader: Osamu Kondo, in charge of the anthropological investigation of the health, diet, and individual life histories of the Iyai population.

  • Osamu Kondo (The University of Tokyo, Research Collaborator) Morphological study of excavated human skeletal remains (lineage, regionality, health status, palaeopathology)
  • Asuka Tosaka (Kyoto University of Arts, Research Assistant) Facial reconstruction of excavated human skeletal remains (facial reconstruction, art anatomy)
  • Minoru Yoneda (The University of Tokyo, Research Associate) Isotopic analysis of excavated human bones (paleodiet, life history), radiocarbon dating
  • Takashi Gakuhari (Kanazawa University, Research Associate) Isotopic analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (strontium analysis)
  • Ahan Shin (The University of Tokyo, Research Collaborator) Isotopic analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (strontium analysis)

DNA Team

Team Leader: Shintaro Ueda, in charge of the DNA analysis for genetic characteristics, individual sex, and kinship of the Iyai population

  • Shintaro Ueda (University of Tokyo, Research Associate) DNA analysis and genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (responsible for supervising the DNA Team)
  • Fuzuki Mizuno (Toho University, Research Associate) DNA analysis and genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (responsible for experimentation and analysis)
  • Jun Ohashi (The University of Tokyo, Research Associate) Genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (focusing on intra-population diversity analysis)
  • Izumi Naka (The University of Tokyo, Research Associate) Genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (focusing on intra-population diversity)
  • Kouji Ishiya (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Research Collaborator) Genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (focusing on primary data analysis)
  • Masahiko Kumagai (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Research Collaborator) Genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (focusing on epigenomic analysis) Jun Gojobori (Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Research Associate) Genome analysis of excavated human skeletal remains (focusing on inter-population diversity)
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