Collection of Archaeological Materials from the Lower Tokoro River Basin

Bone bear carvingBone bear carving
No.41
DescriptionBone bear carving
SiteTokoro-chashi Site Okhotsk Locality: from the fill of Pit House 8
Size (cm)L. 3.5
PeriodLate stage of Okhotsk culture
Date8-9th century
PossessorTokoro Research Laboratory
CommentThis specimen is made of deer antler, expressing the head and body of a bear. There are expressions of ropes on the neck and the back of the bear. The form resembles a rope used to tie a bear cub at the Bear-sending Ceremony (Iyomante) of the Ainu culture, and the relevance is currently being investigated.