Chikamori Site
| チカモリ遺跡 | |
 Wooden pillars at Chikamori Site | |
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Chikamori Site  Chikamori Site (Japan) | |
| Location | Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Hokuriku region |
| Coordinates | 36°33′22.1″N 136°36′16.8″E / 36.556139°N 136.604667°ECoordinates: 36°33′22.1″N 136°36′16.8″E / 36.556139°N 136.604667°E |
| Type | settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Jōmon period |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | National Historic Site |
| Public access | Yes |
Chikamori Site (チカモリ遺跡 Chikamori iseki) is an archaeological site and the ruins of a late Jōmon period settlement in what is now the Shinbohon neighbourhood of the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1987.[1]
Overview
The site is located in the alluvial delta of the Sai River, with abundant underground water. Excavation surveys have been conducted several times since 1954, but during the 1980 survey a ring column of wooden columns forming a timber circle was discovered. In the subsequent survey, a total of 347 foundations of large pillars with a diameter of 30 to 85 centimetres arranged in timber circles were found. Many of these wooden pillars are divided vertically into halves, and the cross section U-shaped. Of these wooden pillars, 23 gigantic pillars with a diameter of 50 centimeters or more are grouped in the vicinity of the central square in groups of eight to ten sets, regularly arranged in a circle with a diameter of 6 to 8 meters.
The foundation indicate that the structures were of three types: circular, square, and rectangular. These types are close or even overlapping. Since only the pillar roots remain, the original height of the structures is unknown, as was their function or purpose, or even if these pillars were free-standing, forming a Japanese Wood Henge or were the supports for raised buildings. However, it can be inferred from the thickness of the pillars that these were not the foundations of ordinary residences, and may have been some form of religious facility. While the foundations of wooden foundation pillars is often found in Jōmon period ruins, the great number and large size of these pillars at this site is unusual.
The site is now public park.
See also
References
- ↑ "チカモリ遺跡" [Chikamori Site] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs.
External links
- Kanazawa city home page (in Japanese)
- Ishikawa Prefectural home page (in Japanese)