Location Ishikawa Archaeological Foundation
Tomitsuka Site Excavated Item: Unfinished Hoe-shaped Stone
- Display status
- No permanent display
- Period
- Early Kofun Period (4th century)
- Form/Type
- Archaeological material
- Location
- Tomitsuka-machi (Kaga City)
The Tomitsuka Site is located on the southern slope of a hill on the west bank of Shibayama Lake.
This unfinished hoe-shaped stone bracelet was collected north of the Tomitsuka Site as part of a detailed survey of the distribution of sites within Ishikawa Prefecture, conducted by the prefectural government in 1982. It is thought that it was dug up during cultivation and abandoned at the site, however it is also possible that it was brought there from the nearby Katayamazu Tamatsukuri Site.
It is green tuff with a pale green color, and there are shaping marks over almost its entire surface. Its dimensions are 24.3 cm long, 8.5 cm wide at the top, 13.5 cm wide at the bottom, 6.7 cm thick and 2.25 kg in weight.
Stone products such as hoe-shaped bracelets, spoke-patterned bracelets and ring bracelets were treated as symbols of authority in the early Kofun Period, and were buried in ancient burial mounds all over Japan. The majority of these stone products are thought to have been produced in the Kaga region, and the excavation of unfinished items that were still in the process of being made supports this belief.
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Opened in 1998 as an open facility for the excavation and organization of excavated artifacts and the publication of reports on buried cultural properties (archaeological sites) that convey the history and culture of Ishikawa prefecture, as well as to hold exhibitions and lectures that make use of the results. The exhibition rooms comprise sections organized by theme and era, where you can see and touch precious earthenware and stone tools discovered from archaeological sites throughout the prefecture. In 2001, they also opened the Ancient Experience Area, where you can enjoy learning about the lives and techniques of ancient people. Both adults and children can learn about local history in an accessible and easy manner, while deepening their interest and understanding of cultural properties.
18-1 Nakatomachi, Kanazawa, 920-1336 Google Maps
TEL 076-229-4477 E-mail daihyou@ishikawa-maibun.or.jp
