Embedded Files
Haji-pottery plate
Excavated from pit / The first half of the Kamakura period
Haji-pottery plate
Excavated from well / The first half of the Kamakura period
Stone pot
Excavated from well / The first half of the Kamakura period
Earthenware made of a roof-tile material pot
Excavated from well / The first half of the Kamakura periodResults of the Archeological Excavation Survey at the Site of the New KUAS International Student Dormitory, Uzumasa B
Prior to the construction of this dormitory, archaeological excavations were conducted on-site from March to April 2021. The plot occupies the southeast corner of an archaeological site referred to as the Ichinoi Ruins, which date back to the Kamakura (1185 - 1333) to Muromachi (1333 - 1568) periods. The site is also adjacent to the eastern boundary of the former grounds of Koryu-ji Temple, which stood across the Johoku Kaido road that runs north-south along the west side of the site. Koryu-ji Temple is said to have been founded by the Hata clan in the Asuka period (710 - 794), and prospered considerably from the end of the Heian period (794 - 1185) to the Edo period (1603 - 1868). Excavations in the area have revealed that a settlement developed around the temple during this time.
This survey revealed the remains of two hottate-bashira (wood post foundation) buildings from the early to mid-Muromachi period. Along with the buildings were found two fence rows, a well, and a pit containing a large number of earthenware plates from the first half of the Kamakura period.
Like many of the other hottate-bashira buildings of the early to mid-Muromachi period, the posts of the buildings discovered at the dormitory site were small in diameter, and many of them had stones set in place to support them. Furthermore, the posts were oriented in a northwesterly direction, parallel to Johoku Street and the former premises of Koryu-ji Temple, suggesting that they were built with the temple in mind.
On the other hand, the post holes of the fence rows were large and lined up in a northeasterly direction. On the east side, a simple earthen well and a pit containing a large amount of perfectly preserved, upward-facing earthenware dishes were discovered. It is assumed that this pit was used to dump earthenware used in festivals, or that the contents of the pit were intended as a type of religious offering.
From these findings, it can be inferred that this area was actively used as a housing site during the middle ages of Japan when Koryu-ji Temple was surrounded by a flourishing community.
Dig site layout (1:2,500 scale)
Ruins from the early to mid Muromachi period (top is East)
Ruins from the first half of the Kamakura period (top is east)
Overhead view of the dig site (Northward view, toward Johoku Road)
The Origins of "Uzumasa"
The land this dormitory was built upon falls within the Uzumasa Ward of Kyoto City. To the west is Koryu-ji Temple, which was built by the Hata clan after they migrated to Japan from Korea many centuries ago. To the east is Narabigaoka Hill, which is dotted with round tombs and cluster tombs that are thought to be the chief burial place of the Hata clan. On the fan-shaped land formed by the Omuro River, traces of human habitation have been found that date back to the Jomon Period (14,000–300 BC), and many settlements and tombs from the Kofun (300 - 538 AD) and Asuka Periods (1368 - 1644) have been excavated.
The name "Uzumasa" is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki (one of Japan's oldest history books): "The peoples of Hata were dispatched to the courts of Omo, Muraji and other places, where they were used by their new lords as seen fit. They produced silk of the finest quality, and piled it up in great flowing mountains in the imperial court. Thus, the peoples of Hata were given the family name of Uzumasa (approximately: Silk Mound)." A shrine dedicated to silkworms, the Konoshima Nimasu Amateru Mitama Shrine, is located directly east of the land of the Hata clan. Another shrine nearby celebrates silk production, weaving, and dyeing techniques. All of this suggests that the silk industry was very important in this region.
Koryu-ji Temple is said to have been founded in Uzumasa in 603 by Hata no Kawakatsu, the chief of the Hata clan. Around that time, Hata no Kawakatsu was given a statue of Buddha by Prince Shotoku. In the late Heian period (794 - 1185), people began to flock Koryu-ji to worship the Buddha statue along with the now-deified Shotoku Taishi. At the time, the area of Koryu-ji Temple was much larger than it is today, extending east to the Johoku Road and north to a point beyond the Sanin Train Line. However, in the Edo period, the area was divided into the villages of Uzumasamonzen, Nakasato, Ichikawa, and Anyoji, which were merged into the village of Uzumasa at the beginning of the Meiji period (1868 - 1912). According to one map from 1892, the northern lands of what used to be Koryu-ji Temple were by then covered in bamboo grasslands. In 1897, the Kyoto Railway (later Japan Railways) built train tracks across that land. Uzumasa underwent a new transformation in 1926, when Bando Tsumasaburo Production Studios (now Toei Kyoto Studios) was constructed, followed by Makino Talkie Productions (now Shochiku Studio Company) in 1935. From that time on, Uzumasa flourished as a film production town. In 1975, Toei Movie Studios opened the Toei Kyoto Movie Village, a movie-making amusement park that remains popular to this day.
Uzumasa Narabigaoka Surrounding Ruins
Foundation Stone (hashira-ishi)
Excavated from the Ichinoi Ruins
At the site of the Ichinoi Ruins, a number of stones ranging in size from a fist to a human head were discovered in post holes demarcating the remains of a building from the early Muromachi period (1333 - 1568). At that time, buildings were constructed by digging holes in the ground and driving wood posts (hottate-bashira) into them to create support pillars for the superstructure. Under these posts, foundation stones (hashira-ishi) were placed under the wood posts to prevent the building from sinking.
After this particular building was destroyed, the foundation stones appear to have been buried in place, where they remained until today.
State in which the foundation stones were discovered
Komafuda
This plot of land is archeologically significant due to its proximity to Koryu-ji Temple, wherein a statue of Buddha gifted to Hata No Kawakatsu by Prince Shotoku is enshrined. This plot also falls within the boundaries of the "Ichinoi Ruins," an archaeological site dating from the Nara to Edo periods (710 - 1867 AD).
Excavations conducted in 2021 on this plot revealed the remains of fences and a well from the Kamakura period (1192 - 1333) as well as the remains of buildings from the early Muromachi period (1336 - 1573). The Kamakura remains are oriented toward the north-northeast, and the Muromachi remains are oriented toward the northwest. The orientation of the Kamakura remains is consistent with the Jori sei system of land subdivision utilized from the ancient to late middle ages. On the other hand, the Muromachi period remains line up with what would have been the temple complex on the ancient grounds of Koryu-ji Temple. This makes them very important in understanding how civilization flourished around the gate of Koryu-ji Temple nearly 1,000 years ago.
Special Thanks: Assistant Service for Cultural Assets (excavation, exhibition, analysis & documentation)
Google Sites
Report abuse