Department of Archaeology

e-mail:	kouko(at)l.u-tokyo.ac.jp *Replace (at) with @.
Tel:	03-5841-3793

The Department of Archaeology is one of the leading centers for the study of archaeology in Japan. Archaeology is a field of study that explores the long-term history of humankind through material culture in the past consisting of artifacts (pottery, stone tools, metal tools, etc.) and features (pit dwellings, rice paddies, burial mounds, etc.), which are mostly buried underground. Excavations to acquire these artifacts and features, and the theory and methodology to reconstruct the history of human life, society, politics, and culture from these material cultures, are important elements in the discipline of archaeology. Archaeology is not just about uncovering the past but seeking the roots of various issues that humans face today, such as environmental problems, social issues, and cultural diversity.

Teaching staff

Masahiro FUKUDA (Ph.D., Associate Professor) Archaeology (Northeast Asia, General Prehistory since the Neolithic to )

Research fields:	Prehistoric cultures since the emergence of pottery in the northern Japan Sea Rim and northeastern Eurasia, and their history of environmental adaptation.
Courses taught:	His lecture courses cover the general topics of Northeast Asian archaeology, history of the Japanese archipelago through international comparative theory, northern people’s cultures, methods of archaeological site surveys, and so on. He also teaches seminars on the Neolithic/Jomon period in the Japan Sea Rim region and the prehistory of Northern Eurasia. His courses and seminars cover Eurasian Archaeology, Northeast Asian Archaeological Research, and East Asian Prehistoric Archaeology.

Research fields:

Prehistoric cultures since the emergence of pottery in the northern Japan Sea Rim and northeastern Eurasia, and their history of environmental adaptation.

Courses taught:

His lecture courses cover the general topics of Northeast Asian archaeology, history of the Japanese archipelago through international comparative theory, northern people’s cultures, methods of archaeological site surveys, and so on. He also teaches seminars on the Neolithic/Jomon period in the Japan Sea Rim region and the prehistory of Northern Eurasia. His courses and seminars cover Eurasian Archaeology, Northeast Asian Archaeological Research, and East Asian Prehistoric Archaeology.

Yo NEGISHI (Ph.D., Associate Professor) Archaeology (Japan, Jomon/Yayoi Period), Ethnoarchaeology

Research fields:	The transitional process from the Jomon to the Yayoi period and the comparative archaeological perspectives for them in the East Asian prehistory and human history. Ethnoarchaeological practice on Neolithization and social stratification theories.
Courses taught:	His lecture courses cover the general topics of the Jomon and Yayoi studies, readings of original texts on ethnoarchaeological theory, and introductory lectures on prehistoric archaeology. He also teaches seminars on the prehistory of the Japanese archipelago and surrounding areas. His courses and seminars cover Introduction to Archaeology I, Introduction to Prehistoric Japanese Culture, Prehistoric Japanese Culture, Seminar of Jomon and Yayoi Cultural Studies, Topics in Ethnoarchaeology, Practical Museology C, and Humanities Seminar (Historical Science).

Research fields:

The transitional process from the Jomon to the Yayoi period and the comparative archaeological perspectives for them in the East Asian prehistory and human history. Ethnoarchaeological practice on Neolithization and social stratification theories.

Courses taught:

His lecture courses cover the general topics of the Jomon and Yayoi studies, readings of original texts on ethnoarchaeological theory, and introductory lectures on prehistoric archaeology. He also teaches seminars on the prehistory of the Japanese archipelago and surrounding areas. His courses and seminars cover Introduction to Archaeology I, Introduction to Prehistoric Japanese Culture, Prehistoric Japanese Culture, Seminar of Jomon and Yayoi Cultural Studies, Topics in Ethnoarchaeology, Practical Museology C, and Humanities Seminar (Historical Science).

Kazuki MORISAKI (Ph.D., Associate Professor) Archaeology (Japan, East Asia, Paleolithic, Jomon), Conservation of Cultural Properties

Research fields:	History of human migration in East Asia, history of human ecology from the Paleolithic to the Jomon period. Practical introductions to GIS, 3D measurements, and underwater archaeological methods.
Courses taught:	His lecture courses cover East Asian archaeology from the Late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, the history of human adaptation to the Japanese archipelago, as well as a general history of Japanese archaeology. He also teaches seminars on theoretical archaeology. His courses and seminars cover Introduction to Archaeology II, East Asian Paleolithic Studies, the East Asian Paleolithic, Theoretical Archaeology, and Special Themed Seminar on Ancient Culture and Natural Environment along the southern Okhotsk Sea region.

Research fields:

History of human migration in East Asia, history of human ecology from the Paleolithic to the Jomon period. Practical introductions to GIS, 3D measurements, and underwater archaeological methods.

Courses taught:

His lecture courses cover East Asian archaeology from the Late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, the history of human adaptation to the Japanese archipelago, as well as a general history of Japanese archaeology. He also teaches seminars on theoretical archaeology. His courses and seminars cover Introduction to Archaeology II, East Asian Paleolithic Studies, the East Asian Paleolithic, Theoretical Archaeology, and Special Themed Seminar on Ancient Culture and Natural Environment along the southern Okhotsk Sea region.

Saiji ARAI (Research Associate)

Research fields:	Zooarchaeology