In general, cave and rock-shelter sites have been understood as the places where humans used to live before the onset of sedentarization. This is because a temporary dwelling was most suitable for hunter-gatherers, who moved frequently and repeatedly. In the Japanese archipelago, however, there are few cave sites from the Paleolithic period, and the number of such sites tends to increase around 10,000 years before the beginning of settlement. Furthermore, caves were also used in agricultural societies. In order to elucidate this reality, it is not enough to simply view caves as residences; it is necessary to clarify the relationship between caves and general settlements, as well as the use of caves not only inside but also in the surrounding areas. Based on this perspective, this study examines the background of cave use in agricultural societies based on the latest research results.
The caves that were actively used with the start of rice farming were the sea-eroded caves in the Miura Peninsula, Kanagawa Prefecture, located in the southeastern part of the Japanese archipelago. The Makuchi cave site, the subject of our research, was used from around the 1st century, and ritual artifacts such as burnt bones(Bokkotsu) and a layer of charcoal ash soil were found inside, suggesting that rituals or production activities using and fire were carried out there.
Based on the analysis of the carbonized material attached to the pottery, the applicant assumed that the site was a place of rituals using animal bones, and pointed out the possibility that such activities were conducted not only in the interior but also in the vestibule area. To test this hypothesis, an excavation of the vestibule is scheduled for February 2025. Based on the results of this excavation, we report on the actual sate of cave use in agricultural society.