Tokoro-chashi Sites: Excavation Photographs Digital Archives

1 Outline of Tokoro-chashi Sites

The Tokoro-chashi Sites, located in the town of Tokoro, Kitami, Hokkaido Prefecture, comprise archaeological sites spread over an eastern river terrace of the Tokoro River, about 600 m from its mouth at 15 to 30 m above sea level. While archaeological sites are distributed all over the river terrace, there are areas where pit houses and other archaeological features are concentrated in the northern and southern parts of the terrace. There are three concentrations of archaeological sites, which have been named as follows: the Tokoro-chashi site at the north edge of the terrace, containing mainly the chashi ruin (Ainu fort); the Tokoro-chashi site Okhotsk Locality, a settlement site located southwest of the chashi site; and the Tokoro-chashi Minamione site, located at the south edge of the terrace, consisting of pit houses. "Tokoro-chashi Sites" is the collective name for all archaeological sites scattered over the river terrace, including these site-complexes.

Here, features and artifacts from the Initial Jomon to the Ainu Culture have been found. Particularly worthy of note is the chashi ruin of the Ainu Culture, which was built around the early 18th century; and an Okhotsk culture settlement comprising more than 16 pit houses. Other findings from excavations include concentrations of lithic assemblages of the “Blade Arrowhead Culture” of the Initial Jomon; pit houses spanning a long period of time including the Middle to Late Jomon, Epi-Jomon, and Satsumon cultures; and Okhotsk culture burial pits.

In 1960, the first investigation at the Tokoro-chashi sites was conducted by the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Letters at the University of Tokyo. Since then, a total of 25 excavations or preliminary surveys were conducted until 2009 by the University of Tokyo and Kitami City (former Tokoro-cho Town). In 2002, a decision was made to include the entire archaeological sites in the previously designated national historic site, "Tokoro Site."