Tagoyano Site
The Tagoyano Site in Aomori is located a few kilometers inland from the Sea of Japan, on a plateau overlooking the Tsugaru Plain. Potsherds and human remains discovered here date the site from 4000 to 2000 BCE. Archaeological surveys have revealed shell mounds, shell bracelets, tools crafted from the bones of whales, and the sites of pit dwellings.
Shell mounds
Shell mounds are typically constructed of the discarded shells of clams and the bones of animals. They are commonly found close to the coast at sites that would have bordered the shore. Shell mounds provide insight into the diet and means of livelihood of prehistoric people and indicate how coastal environments have changed over the last 10,000 years.
Findings from shell mounds at the Tagoyano Site
The mounds at the Tagoyano Site are made up almost exclusively of the shells of Japanese basket clams (Jp. yamato shijimi; Corbicula japonica). This indicates that these clams were an important food source for the people that inhabited the site. Japanese basket clams live in brackish-water habitats, so their presence shows that the Tagoyano Site would have bordered a coastal lagoon when it was inhabited. It is likely that Lake Jusanko, a coastal lagoon several kilometers away, once stretched as far south as the Tagoyano Site.
Human remains
A set of human remains was found buried within a stratum of shell on the site of a pit dwelling at the Tagoyano Site. Investigation revealed the bones to be the remains of an adult female. Carbon dating suggests the woman lived around 6,000 years ago.
Bracelets and trade
Among the artifacts discovered at the Tagoyano Site are bangle-like bracelets made from clam shells found along the western shore of the Tsugaru Peninsula. Unworked shells and bracelets in various stages of production have been discovered at the Tagoyano Site, indicating that the bracelets were produced there. It is likely that the inhabitants of the Tagoyano Site traded their bracelets with communities in southern Hokkaido. Several finished bracelets have been unearthed at archaeological sites there, and obsidian tools from Hokkaido have been found at the Tagoyano Site.
Artifacts and related archaeological sites
Artifacts from the Tagoyano Site are on display at the Tsugaru City Jomon Dwelling Museum and the Tsugaru City Kizukuri Kamegaoka Archaeological Museum. Artifacts from the Kamegaoka Burial Site [link] and other nearby sites are also exhibited. The Kamegaoka Burial Site can be reached on foot in five minutes from the Tagoyano Site. Other sites in Aomori include the Sannai Maruyama Site [link], the Komakino Stone Circle [link], and the Odai Yamamoto Site [link].
