Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Pref., Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)–Excavation is underway at an archaeological site in a western Japan city, with both researchers and local residents anxious to unravel the mystery of when and how humans arrived in the Japanese archipelago. The Kanmuri ruins in the Yoshiwa district in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, generated excitement in 2024 when a stone tool that is likely to be the oldest such artifact in Japan was discovered at the site. Sadakatsu Kunitake, 51, chief researcher at the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, which is spearheading the excavation, said that the Kanmuri ruins are “the finest archaeological site in Japan that connects (the country) to the world.” “We hope to delve into the history of humans in the Japanese archipelago,” he said. Homo sapiens are believed to have first appeared in Africa 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, and then moved across Eurasia and gradually spread throughout the world. Kunitake is trying to find out when and how humans came to the Far East archipelago through excavations for stone tools both in and outside of Japan. In 2023, he started excavation efforts at the Kanmuri ruins. The following year, a stone tool point was found at the site, with radiocarbon dating showing that it was from 42,300 years ago. While humans are believed to have reached the Japanese archipelago about 38,000 years ago, the discovery pushed back this date by nearly 5,000 years. While this was a major discovery, Kunitake said, “The idea that something is valuable simply because it is old is just plainly wrong.” At the back of his mind was a major Paleolithic dig scandal in Japan in 2000 that involved an individual planting artifacts to fake finds at sites. “The most important thing is certainty,” Kunitake said. “I’d like to unravel the history of the archipelago in correlation to the world map, rather than making it a competition of how old things found in Japan are.” Kunitake is not the only one excited about the ongoing excavation at the Kanmuri ruins. Hoping to take a look at the treasure trove, many residents attended a public viewing of the site. The ruins have also helped revitalize the local economy, inspiring new products. Oichiro Yuda, 10, was among some 650 people who were at the public viewing held for two weeks in September this year. Yuda, who visited the site with his grandparents, said, “While I can’t imagine how things were like 40,000 years ago, isn’t this all romantic?” “I’d like to see a big stone tool,” he said. Ako Mitsui, 42, who works at a local shop, came up with an original character inspired by stone tools. The character is printed on “dorayaki” Japanese-style pancakes sold in collaboration with a local traditional Japanese confectionery store. “I’d like people from both in and outside of Hiroshima to know about ‘the place with the oldest (stone tool) in Japan,'” she said. Hatsukaichi Mayor Taro Matsumoto expressed desire to turn the site into a place of education and tourism. “I personally have high hopes (for the ruins),” he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
