open access

https://doi.org/10.14943/2115.98753

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/98753

Preliminary report on the 2025 archaeological excavation at the Kawanishi-Okhotsk site, Yubetsu, Hokkaido

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擦文文化

2026-01-08

Laboratory of Archaeology, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hokkaido University

Bulletin of the Laboratory of Archaeology, Hokkaido University

5

133-151

19

The Kawanishi-Okhotsk site, located in the Yubetsu River basin of eastern Hokkaido, is situated on a lower river terrace along the left bank of the Sensai River. First investigated in 1960 by the local archaeologist Kioe Yonemura, the site yielded notable tusk figurines of a marine mammal and a bear, as well as potsherds and stone tools. These discoveries identified the site as a settlement associated with both the Okhotsk and Satsumon cultures. However, because the original site report provided only limited descriptions, the characteristics of settlements during these periods remained unclear. To address this, the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples conducted excavations between 1991 to 1993, focusing primarily on pit dwellings of the Okhotsk culture. These investigations clarified the number and spatial distribution of pit dwellings and assigned the settlement to the late phase of the Okhotsk culture. Although a possible Satsumon dwelling was also excavated, its details were not fully documented in the site report. Consequently, while these studies significantly improved our understanding of the site as an Okhotsk settlement, the nature of the Satsumon occupation has been poorly understood. Our research project, initiated in 2024, prioritizes investigation of the Satsumon settlement at the Kawanishi-Okhotsk site. In 2025, we established trenches in Pit Dwelling No. 28 and excavated part of the feature. Although the structure of the dwelling walls could not be conclusively identified, the results indicate that the floor was most likely constructed directly on the loam layer corresponding to Natural Stratum V. A full-scale excavation of this feature is planned for the next field season in order to clarify its architectural characterstics and function.

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Version of Record

2760-1129