Goshono Site
The Goshono Site in northern Iwate was the location of a large-scale settlement dating from around 2500 BCE. Archaeologists have discovered the sites of more than 800 pit dwellings throughout the archaeological site, which now features walking trails and a museum.
Large-scale settlements
The Goshono Site is important for understanding the layout of large-scale Jomon settlements. Such settlements were common between 3000 and 2000 BCE. They included several areas with specific functions arranged around a central burial area.
Archaeological surveys of the Goshono Site indicate that pit dwellings were concentrated in the eastern, central, and western parts of the settlement. At the center of the site, there is a cemetery marked with several stone arrangements. Adjacent to the cemetery is an artificial, earthern mound from which large quantities of ornamental earthenware and stone objects have been retrieved. The decorative nature of the artifacts implies that the area around the mound had a ritual significance and it is likely that ceremonies were performed here.
The natural environment
The archaeological site is on a large plateau, surrounded by forest. The entrance to the site is across a covered suspension bridge that curves across a narrow valley with a meandering stream. The grounds are planted with trees such as walnut, chestnut, horse chestnut, and lacquer trees, which would have grown at the site when it was settled. Trails lead around the site and information boards explain how the plants would have been used. Sap from the lacquer tree was extracted and refined to produce lacquer, which was used to decorate earthenware. Nut trees provided sustenance, timber for building, and firewood.
Pit dwellings
Several pit dwellings have been recreated at the site. Pit dwellings are commonly thought to have had thatched roofs, but investigations of the burnt remains of dwellings at the Goshono Site suggest some here, had roofs made from packed earth.
Pit dwellings from the Jomon period (13,000–400 BCE) vary in size but are generally supported by four or six structural pillars inserted directly into the ground of an oval-shaped pit. Their eaves stretch all the way to the upper edges of the pits, creating a well-sheltered bunker-like dwelling. Their interiors have a hearth, and some dwellings may also have had an attic-like space for storage.
Goshono Jomon Museum
The Goshono Jomon Museum exhibits artifacts from the Goshono Site and other nearby Jomon sites. The “Discovery of Burnt Buildings” exhibition details excavation work and investigations into the structure of Jomon pit dwellings at the Goshono Site. The burned remains of a 4200-year-old pit dwelling are visible beneath a glass floor in the exhibition hall. The Goshono Jomon World exhibition displays excavated pottery and stone tools, and uses projection mapping to introduce prehistoric life at the Goshono settlement. A third exhibition on the second floor introduces highly decorative “Kamegaoka style” pottery.
The museum provides information in English and offers Jomon-themed workshops on weaving and making pottery and jewelry. The museum charges a small fee for admission.
Related archaeological sites
Other settlements from a similar period have been discovered at the Sannai Maruyama Site [link] (Aomori), one of the largest Jomon archaeological sites in Japan, and the Ofune Site [link] (Hokkaido).
