What the Black Stone Tells Us










This page was provided
by Takashi Tsutsumi.
He is interested in the
neighoborhood of in
paleology Mt.Yatugatake.



About 30,000 years ago, the most ancient hunters living in the Japan Islands
hold the shining black stone. 　Whatever the first contacts with these stones
may be, the discovery of these sharp-edged stones like glass helped a great
deal to improve the ancient 　people's 　hunting lives. 　Stoneweapons made of
obsidian flakes cut deep into the bodies of animals and gave them fatal injuries.
They were also used for cutting meat, skins and barks of the trees as well-
cutting knives.

The obsidian stones cannot be found at any place all over Japan.
There are a little more than sixty places where the stones have been found
from Hokkaido to the north and Kyushu to the south.

Hokkaido

1: Shirataki, Horokazawa

2: Tokatimitumata

3: Oketo

4: Akaigawa

49: Nayoro

50: Chikafumidai

70: Chibubetu

51: Takigawa

55: Miman

56: Toyoizumi

Aomoriken

5: Dekijima

6: Fukaura

52: Orikoshinai



57: Tokado

58: Turumizaka

Akitaken

7: Oga


Iwateken

8: Shizukuishi

9: Orii

10: Hanaizumi

Miyagiken

11: Yukura

12: Shiogama

Yamagataken

13: Gassan


Niigataken

54: Sado

68: Kamiishigawa

14: Itayama

15: Ohshirakawa

Tochigiken

16: Takaharayama


Tokyoto

22: Kozushima


Gunmaken

67: Ohkubozawa


Kanagawaken

17: Hakone , Fuezuka

18: Hakone, Hatajuku

19: Kajiya

Shizuokaken

20: Kamitaga

21: Kashiwazakinishi

Toyamaken

59: Uozu


Ishikawaken

53: Hina


Fukuiken

47: Anto

48: Sanriyama

Naganoken

23: Kirigamine , Omegura , Wadatoge

24: Mugikusatoge , Futagoike

Shimane(Oki)

25: Kamo

26: Sai

27: Kumi

28: Fukuura

Himeshima

29: Kannonzaki

30: Morose

31: Inazumi

32: Oizaki

Oitaken

33: Tsukase


Kumamotoken

59: Oguni

60: Nanzeki

61: Todoroki

43: Kangatake

62: Shirahama


Miyazakiken

63: Kuwanokizuru


Kagoshimaken

44: Izumi(nitto)

64: Gomeki

65: Kamiushihana

66: Hirakoba

45: Ryugazumi

46: Hase

Sagaken

39: Koshidake

69: Shiibagawa

Iki

34: Kukinotuji

35: Kimigaura

36: Kadokawa

37: Kaiharu

Nagasakiken

38: Matsuura

40: Yodohime

41: Nakamachi , Furusato

42: Ohsaki



　　　　　　　　From the data analyses of Kyoto University
　　　　　　　 Atomic Energy Laboratory : Tetsuo Warashina.

The most representative of these places is the Oki Islands in the Japan
Sea.　There are subtle differences in the amounts of elements in the stones
from these places.　Therefore,the element analyses by X-Ray Fluorescence
tell s us the original places of the obsidian rocks.

The hunters in the Old Stone Age and the Jomon period were fascinated
by these excellent stones and they sometimes traveld more than 100 kilometers
with extreme difficulties across the mountains and the sea only to get these
stones.

It was proved with the help of the X-Ray Fluorescence analysis that some of
obsidian stones found in the Doteue Remains in Numazu City, Shizuoka prefecture
are from the Kozu Island in the Sagami Bay. The strata of the remains are
25,000〜30,000 old. The sea level in the glacial age was much more lower than
it is now, but the island was not linked to the main island. So it is hard to imagine
the people in the Stone Age swam across to the Kozu Island. The presence of
the obsidian stones in the remains suggests the presence of some kind of boat in
those days. It is most surprising that the ancient people might have sacrificed
their lives to get these stonss. The stones may have been as precious as a'life'
itself to them.

There are many obsidian stones in the Easter Island in the South Pacific Ocean.
The island is famous for its Moai statues-one of the World Heritages.
Here the obsidian stones were used in a mysterious way. They were used as eyes
of the statues. It is romantic to think about what these eyes told to the beholders
of those ancient days.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　- Takashi Tsutsumi -
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 （Translation : Noboru Saito)
　mail to koji@sx.miracle.ne.jp　　　INDEX　　　<Japanese>