Yoshigo Shell Midden

Yoshigo shell midden
吉胡貝塚
	Yoshigo Shell Midden
	Yoshigo Shell Midden Yoshigo Shell Midden (Japan)
Location	Tahara, Aichi, Japan
Region	Tōkai region
Coordinates	34°40′54″N 137°16′51″E / 34.68167°N 137.28083°E
Altitude	7 m (23 ft)
Type	shell midden, settlement
Area	20,382 m2
History
Periods	Jōmon period
Site notes
Public access	Yes, (on-site museum)
	National Historic Site of Japan

The Yoshigo Shell Midden (吉胡貝塚, Yoshigo kaizuka) is an archaeological site containing a Jōmon period shell midden located in the Yoshigo neighborhood of the city of Tahara, Aichi on the Atsumi Peninsula in the Tōkai region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1951.^[1]

Overview

During the early to middle Jōmon period (approximately 4000 to 2500 BC), sea levels were five to six meters higher than at present, and the ambient temperature was also 2 deg C higher. During this period, the Kantō region was inhabited by the

ecofacts associated with the now-vanished inhabitants, and these features, provide a useful source into the diets and habits of Jōmon society. Most of these middens are found along the Pacific coast of Japan. ^[2]

The Yoshigo Shell Midden dates from the late to final Jōmon period, in an alluvial area with an elevation of six meters above the current sea level, on a gentle slope facing Atsumi Bay. The midden is not very large, with an area of 4100 square meters, but is considered large for the region. It was found to contain a variety of shells, fish and animal bones and broken bone tools, and pottery shards. Of note was discovery of a large Jōmon period necropolis containing the intact remains of 341 individuals. Of these burials, 163 were in which the arms of the deceased were bent, 16 had the arms extended, and 42 were in clay jars. Many of the skulls showed that front teeth had been removed, confirming a trait of Jōmon culture which has been known from other sites. The Yoshigo Shell Midden was

pit dwellings were also found in the vicinity, and artifacts such as Jōmon pottery, stone tools and other items have been discovered. ^[2]

The site is now preserved as an

Toyohashi Railway Mikawa Tahara Station. ^[2]