Toro (archaeological site)

nihongo|Toro|登呂 遺跡|"Toro iseki" is the name of a Late Yayoi archaeological site in the city of Shizuoka, 130 kilometers south of Tokyo, Japan.

Toro is notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of a Yayoi-era wet-rice paddy were found. [Aikens, C. Melvin and Takayasu Higuchi. 1982. "Prehistory of Japan". Academic Press, New York, pp. 226.] [Bahn, Paul (editor) 2001. Toro. In "The Penguin Archaeology Guide". Penguin, London, pg. 451.] The site was discovered in 1943 and was excavated in 1947 and 1948. As well as the agricultural remains, archaeological findings included pit-houses, refuse pits, raised-floor buildings. Many artifacts were unearthed also. The preservation at the Toro site was so complete that a large number of 2000 year-old wooden farming tools were excavated. [Aikens and Higuchi. 1982, pp. 235-237.]

The archaeological remains from Toro elicited such an intense interest from Japanese archaeologists that the Japanese Archaeology Association was formed to study it. [Aikens and Higuchi. 1982, pp. 226.] [Bahn, Paul (editor) 2001:451.] Toro has been used as a type site for Yayoi culture despite the fact that the location of the settlement in the Tōkai region was peripheral to the Yayoi formation area in northern Kyūshū. [Bahn, Paul (editor) 2001:451]

The total area of the site was 330,000 m². Twelve pit-houses were excavated but as the archaeologists were not able to establish the boundaries of the original Yayoi settlement, the true size of the village is unknown and may have been larger. In addition, two raised-floor building were found. Archaeologists interpret these as storehouses. Approximately 30 rice paddies were uncovered, along with 370 m of associated narrow canals and waterways.

ee also

*Yoshinogari site

Footnotes

References

External links

* [http://web-japan.org/atlas/historical/his10.html Japan Atlas: Toro site]