Kamiyamada Shell Mound
Kamiyamada Shell Midden (上山田貝塚, Kamiyamada Kaizuka) is a middle Jōmon period shell midden located in what is now part of the city of Kahoku, Ishikawa in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1982.[1]
上山田貝塚 | |
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Kamiyamada Shell Midden  Kamiyamada Shell Mound (Japan) | |
| Location | Kahoku, Ishikawa, Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Hokuriku region |
| Coordinates | 36°43′01″N 136°43′01″E |
| Type | Midden |
| History | |
| Founded | Jōmon period |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | National Historic Site |
| Public access | Yes |
Overview
The site is located on 20 meter hill approximately three kilometers from the present coastline of the Sea of Japan. Between the site and the coast was a chain of large sand dunes and a large marsh extending for approximately two kilometers. The site consists of two separate middens with a shell layer is about 150 centimeters thick in places. Some of the shells are from brackish water shellfish; however, the majority of the shells are from freshwater mussels. In addition, a number of artefacts of pottery and stoneware were discovered, including a unique cylindrical object with what appears to be the figures of a woman and child. The middens were discovered in 1930 and are noteworthy as the first to be discovered in Ishikawa Prefecture.
References
- "上山田貝塚" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.
External links
- Kahoku City information home page (in Japanese)
- Ishikawa Prefectural site (in Japanese)