Sannai Maruyama Ruin Special Historical Site

三内丸山遺跡

Historical Background

The Sannai Maruyama Special Historic Site is one of Japan's largest village ruins, established in the early to middle Jomon Period. The site and other 16 Jomon ruins in Hokkaido and Tohoku were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2021 as "Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan." The sites convey the life and spirituality of the Jomon people, who lived gathering, fishing, and hunting for more than 10,000 years. The Sannai Maruyama ruin shares the culture of Jomon life to people living today. The Jomon period is defined as the period from 13,000 B.C. to 400 B.C. During this period, Jomon people began to settle in one place due to rapid warming. The use of Jomon earthenware suggested this.

During the Jomon periods, the Sannai Maruyama Special Historical Site was used from about 3,900 B.C. to 2,200 B.C. It is presumed that Jomon people settled in the ruin throughout the year because various seasonal fishes, such as mackerel and yellow tail, were found there.

The Jomon people who settled there lived primarily as hunters, fishermen, and gatherers. The reason why they did not begin agricultural society immediately after the settlement in one place is that the Sannai Maruyama ruin was surrounded by ideal fishing conditions, rich fisheries, and forests. Thanks to the abundant nature, the Jomon people could continue gathering, hunting, and fishing style of living.

In the Sannai Maruyama ruin, facilities for rituals, ceremonies, and graves have been excavated. The existence of equipment for rituals and ceremonies showed that the social ties were emphasized by the Jomon people having a settled life. Then, the finding of graves shows that Jomon people had the concept of the afterlife. This suggests the Jomon people had a rich spiritual culture at that time.

Characteristics

The Sannai Maruyama Special Historical Sites contains a variety of ruins. Among them, there are two famous ruins: Remains of large pillar-supported buildings (大型掘立柱建物跡) and Mounds (盛土).

Remains of large pillar-supported buildings

The ruins of Remains of large pillar-supported buildings are a symbol of the Sannai Maruyama Site. The ruins consist of two rows of three columns, each 2 meters in diameter and 2 meters deep, spaced 4.2 meters apart. It is estimated that a huge chestnut tree stood in the hole. Archeologists state that there was a large building about 20 meters high. The use of the building is still controversial. The plausible theories are a watchtower, a lighthouse, and a facility for rituals.

Mounds

A mound is a place where Jomon earthenware, stone tools, and ornaments were dumped for a long time. The thickest mound in the Sannai Maruyama ruins is about as thick as 2 meters. It is estimated that the mound is not just for dumping but also for some spiritual rituals. Jomon people were engaged socially around the mound and spiritual culture was fostered there. Also, currently, the mounds are helpful for archeologists because various domestic wastes are unearthed.