Aomori’s Jomon Site
While the official name for this archeological find is the San'nai-Maruyama iseki Special Historical Site, the significance of it comes from its age. The Jomon period dates back to between 14,000 to 300 BC. This particular site is dated to around 3,900 to 2,900 BC. Yeah, that’s 5,000 years ago! It is the largest such site to be discovered in Japan, a glimpse into a different kind of human civilization.
The site is located on the outskirts of Aomori, a city at the Northern tip of Japan’s Honshu (the main island). The locals uncovered the remains during the construction of a baseball stadium. Of course, this isn’t exactly like finding a straw house encased in ice that simply needed to be thawed out. There foundations are in the same places as the original buildings, but there had to be some creativity to reimagine the huts for modern viewers.
Still, Aomori is also one of the snowiest areas of Japan, lending further appreciation for the inhabitants of that era. The huts and structures had to serve as winter shelters, raised off the ground to compensate for the multiple feet of powder that would blanket the land. There was also a museum (not pictured) where pottery, tools, and other relics were showcased from the dig. If you find yourself in Aomori for a few days, I highly recommend putting this on your list of things to do!
Shot on August 11, 2024 - Travel, Japan
