Toro (archaeological site)
Encyclopedia
is the name of a Late Yayoi
archaeological site
in Suruga Ward
in the city of Shizuoka
, 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) south of Tokyo
, Japan
.
s were found. The site was discovered in 1943 during construction work on a military munitions plant in World War II
, and was excavated in 1947 and 1948. As well as the agricultural remains, archaeological findings included pit-houses
, refuse pits, raised-floor buildings. Many artifacts were also unearthed. The preservation at the Toro site was so complete that a large number of 2000 year-old wooden farming tools were excavated. The site was re-excavated from 1999-2004, during which time additional artifacts were uncovered.
The archaeological remains from Toro elicited such an intense interest from Japanese archaeologists that the Japanese Archaeology Association was formed to study it. Toro has been used as a type site
for Yayoi culture despite the fact that the location of the settlement in the Tōkai region
was peripheral to what has traditionally been considered the Yayoi formation area in northern Kyūshū
.
The Toro pit-dwellings had a roughly 6 x 8 meter living area, with a double skirting wall approximately 30 centimeters high around the circumference. Four wooden posts were sunk into the ground, with beams connecting at the top, and rafters radiating down to the ground level. The whole was covered in thatch. Within, the floor level was even with the outside ground, and a hearth was sunk into the floor in the center. The elevated buildings had an entrance ladder carved from a single log of wood. These buildings were apparently built of planks, using a mortise and tenon joinery
method, which indicates that the builders had use of iron tools.
Approximately 30 rice paddies were uncovered, along with 370 meters of associated narrow canal
s and waterways.
The site is now preserved as a public park with reconstructed buildings and rice fields, and is protected by the Japanese government as a National Historic Monument. A museum at the site preserves and displays many of the artifacts discovered.
Yayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in Suruga Ward
Suruga-ku, Shizuoka
is one of three wards of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan, located in the southern part of the city. The north east of Suruga-ku faces Aoi-ku; the north west faces Shimizu-ku; the south west faces Yaizu city and south east faces Suruga Bay....
in the city of Shizuoka
Shizuoka, Shizuoka
is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...
, 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) south of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Background
Toro is notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of a 1st century AD Yayoi-era wet-rice Paddy fieldPaddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
s were found. The site was discovered in 1943 during construction work on a military munitions plant in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was excavated in 1947 and 1948. As well as the agricultural remains, archaeological findings included pit-houses
Dugout (shelter)
A dugout or dug-out, also known as a pithouse, pit-house, earth lodge, mud hut, is a shelter for humans or domesticated animals and livestock based on a hole or depression dug into the ground. These structures are one of the most ancient types of human housing known to archeologists...
, refuse pits, raised-floor buildings. Many artifacts were also unearthed. The preservation at the Toro site was so complete that a large number of 2000 year-old wooden farming tools were excavated. The site was re-excavated from 1999-2004, during which time additional artifacts were uncovered.
The archaeological remains from Toro elicited such an intense interest from Japanese archaeologists that the Japanese Archaeology Association was formed to study it. Toro has been used as a type site
Type site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
for Yayoi culture despite the fact that the location of the settlement in the Tōkai region
Tokai region
The is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name means "East sea" and comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes...
was peripheral to what has traditionally been considered the Yayoi formation area in northern Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
.
The Site
The total area of the Toro site is 330,000 m². Twelve pit-houses were excavated but as the archaeologists were not able to establish the boundaries of the original Yayoi settlement, the true size of the village is unknown and may have been much larger. In addition to the houses, two raised-floor buildings were found. Archaeologists interpret these as storehouses.The Toro pit-dwellings had a roughly 6 x 8 meter living area, with a double skirting wall approximately 30 centimeters high around the circumference. Four wooden posts were sunk into the ground, with beams connecting at the top, and rafters radiating down to the ground level. The whole was covered in thatch. Within, the floor level was even with the outside ground, and a hearth was sunk into the floor in the center. The elevated buildings had an entrance ladder carved from a single log of wood. These buildings were apparently built of planks, using a mortise and tenon joinery
Joinery
Joinery may refer to:* Woodworking joints or other types of mechanical joints * The work of the joiner, the fabrication and installation of fittings in buildings with materials such as wood and aluminum * In Australia and New Zealand, a joinery is also the generic term for a business which...
method, which indicates that the builders had use of iron tools.
Approximately 30 rice paddies were uncovered, along with 370 meters of associated narrow canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s and waterways.
The site is now preserved as a public park with reconstructed buildings and rice fields, and is protected by the Japanese government as a National Historic Monument. A museum at the site preserves and displays many of the artifacts discovered.
See also
- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
- Yoshinogari siteYoshinogari siteYoshinogari is the name of a large and complex Yayoi archaeological site in Yoshinogari and Kanzaki in Saga Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. According to the Yayoi chronology established by pottery seriations in the 20th century, Yoshinogari dates to between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD...