Hoshikuso Pass obsidian mine site

Hoshikuso Pass obsidian mine ruins (星糞峠黒曜石原産地遺跡, Hoshikuso-tōge kokuyōseki gensanchi iseki) is a Jōmon period archaeological site consisting shallow pits from which obsidian had been mined, located in what is now part of the town of Nagawa in the Chūbu region Japan. It has been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 2001.[1]

Hoshikuso Pass obsidian mine Ruins
星糞峠黒曜石原産地遺跡
Location in Japan
Hoshikuso Pass obsidian mine site (Japan)
LocationNagawa, Nagano, Japan
RegionChubu region
Coordinates
Typesettlement
History
PeriodsJōmon period
Site notes
Conditionruins
OwnershipNational Historic Site
Public accessnone

Overview

The site is located northwest of Mount Kirigamine and northeast of Lake Suwa, in an area where numerous Japanese Paleolithic remains have been found. Obsidian, or "volcanic glass" was frequently used for tools and weapons in the Paleolithic and Jōmon periods as it could be fractured to produce sharp blades or arrowheads, and frequently occurs in volcanic formation around Japan.

The Hoshikuso Pass site is located at an altitude of 500 to 1500 meters, with obsidian distributed all over the slope in a 220-meter north-south by 300 meter east-west orientation. Within this area are numerous crater-shaped shallow indentations, each about 10 meters in diameter and 2 to 3 meters in depth. Some craters overlap, and others have their sides reinforced with embossed stones and debris. The site also contains the remains of a workshop with a hearth, and numerous fragments and shards created by the knapping of obsidian into stone tools. It is not possible to accurately establish the dates during which the site was used, but it is estimated that it was functional since the earliest Jōmon period to the final Jōmon period.

There is no public access or facilities at the site.

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See also

References
  1. "星糞峠黒曜石原産地遺跡". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 25 December 2017.(in Japanese)
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