Artifacts of the Yamashita-cho Cave Site

Takamiya, Hiroe; Tamaki, Morikatsu; Kin, Masanori

doi:10.1537/ase1911.83.137

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The Yamashita-cho Cave I materials derive from two excavations, the first in 1962 (Takamiya, 1967(Takamiya, , 1968 and the second in [1968][1969]. The stratigraphic context is outlined in Takamiya et al (1975a), and the deer fossils are described in Takai (1975).…”

Section: Fluorine Dating Of the Yamashita-cho Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This contradicts Takamiya et al (1975a) (summarized after the second excavation in [1968][1969] who state that most of the deer fossils derive from layer VI. According to Takamiya (1967Takamiya ( , 1968, there appears to have been some initial uncertainty in stratigraphy, with the earlier reports (of the first excavation conducted in 1962) recognizing only five layers. We suspect that much of Takai's (1975) layer "5" deer fossils actually came from layer VI of the revised stratigraphy (Takamiya, 1968;Takamiya et al, 1975a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mortality profiles of late Pleistocene deer remains of Okinawa Island: evidence from the Hananda-Gama cave and Yamashita-cho cave I sites

Kubo

Fujita

Matsu’ura

et al. 2011

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In the present study, we estimated age at death of extinct deer (Cervus astylodon) excavated from two Late Pleistocene sites in Okinawa Island (the Hananda-Gama Cave and Yamashita-cho Cave I sites) from degree of molar wear. This was done using a regression equation of extant sika deer of known age, and deriving an age estimation equation based on M 3 crown height applicable to fossil specimens. We then reconstructed mortality profiles using 45 and 88 individuals of the Hananda-Gama and Yamashita-cho assemblages, respectively, and compared the profiles with those of extant and archaeological (Jomon period) sika deer (C. nippon) populations. The reconstructed age profiles of both sites were strikingly different from the living and hunted Jomon period profiles in relative abundance of old adults. They were more similar to the attritional mortality profiles of the extant sika deer that died by natural causes (i.e. not by human or animal predation), but showed a further shift towards older age. Combined with the fact that there is no fossil evidence of medium-to large-sized carnivores on Okinawa Island during the Late Pleistocene, our results suggest that C. astylodon populations had extended longevity because of low predatory pressure, including that by Paleolithic human hunters.

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Section: Fluorine Dating Of the Yamashita-cho Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality profiles of late Pleistocene deer remains of Okinawa Island: evidence from the Hananda-Gama cave and Yamashita-cho cave I sites

Kubo

Fujita

Matsu’ura

et al. 2011

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“…In addition, some materials from Tokunoshima Island in the northern part of the Ryukyus also produced materials assigned to the Palaeolithic (Yotsumoto and Ito, 2002). However, the Okinawa Islands and southern regions have not produced significant examples of Palaeolithic stone tool technology, the controversial exceptions being from Yamashita-cho Cave 1 (Takamiya et al, 1975b;Oda, 2003) and Kadabaru Cave (Oda, 2007). The scattered stone tools in the Ryukyu Islands are in striking contrast to the abundance of human fossils assigned to Pleistocene.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pleistocene human remains from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, and their radiocarbon dating

Nakagawa

Doi

Nishioka

et al. 2010

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Nine human remains were recovered from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, between 2007 and 2009. Six of the nine samples produced well-preserved biogenic collagen, which was submitted to radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry. Three human samples (Nos. 2, 4, and 8) from the fossil chamber were dated to between 16 and 20 ka BP, and can clearly be assigned to the Late Pleistocene. One animal bone from the same chamber which was treated and measured for radiocarbon independently was also of great antiquity (c. 12 ka BP). These dates are the first concrete evidence of human occupation on the Ryukyu Islands during the Pleistocene, based on the direct radiocarbon dates of human remains. It is expected that more human remains and archaeological objects of the Pleistocene will be recovered from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave and the surrounding region by future intensive collaborations between anthropologists, archaeologists, and speleologists.

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“…The earliest site on the Ryukyus is Yamashita-cho Cave I on Okinawa Island. Partial infant leg bones were found in 36,500-year-old sediments, accompanied by stone cobbles and possible food remains such as fish bones and marine shells, although they were not keenly studied [17,18,22]. About 30,000-year-old flakes and cobbles were found on several other islands throughout the Ryukyus (Table 1) [1,4].…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Migration To the Ryukyus Viewed From The Cu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Okinawa Islands, three sandstone cobbles were discovered with partial infant human bones at the Yamashita-cho Cave I site, which is 36,500 years old, based on 14 C dating of charcoal [17,18,27]. These cobbles were reported to be throwing stone balls [18], but Oda [31] claims they were grinding stones or hammer stones that might share a cultural relationship with those found at Garazo in Tokunoshima and several sites in Tanegashima. Following these cobbles, a culture unique to the Ryukyus possibly developed on Okinawa Island.…”

Section: Late Pleistocene Migration To the Ryukyus Viewed From The Cu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prehistoric Migration of Homo sapiens in the Ryukyu Islands

Fujita,

Mizuno,

Yamasaki

2024

The Prehistory of Human Migration - Human Expansion, Resource Use, and Mortuary Practice in Maritime Asia

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Archeological sites dating back 30,000 years have been discovered throughout the Ryukyus and provided evidence for the migration of Homo sapiens across the sea during the late Pleistocene. A possible relationship to Southeast Asia is suggested, both from studies of artifacts and human remains. Subsequently, prehistoric people continued to inhabit at least several islands until the Holocene. From the end of the Pleistocene to the Holocene, the influence of Jomon culture extended to the Ryukyus, and people of the Jomon culture probably migrated from mainland Japan. One of the oldest evidence of pottery manufacture possibly related to incipient Jomon is found on Tokuno-Shima Island in central Ryukyu. This paper reviews the history of human migration to the Ryukyu Islands and discusses changes in their environment and culture.

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Artifacts of the Yamashita-cho Cave Site

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Mortality profiles of late Pleistocene deer remains of Okinawa Island: evidence from the Hananda-Gama cave and Yamashita-cho cave I sites

Mortality profiles of late Pleistocene deer remains of Okinawa Island: evidence from the Hananda-Gama cave and Yamashita-cho cave I sites

Pleistocene human remains from Shiraho-Saonetabaru Cave on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, and their radiocarbon dating

Prehistoric Migration of Homo sapiens in the Ryukyu Islands

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