Dolphin Bones in Mawaki Archaeological Site: Holocene Paleoenvironmental Changes in Far East

Yasuto Itoh, Hideki Takada, Keiji Takemura  © by the authors

ISBN: 978-1-940366-48-7
Published Date: August 20, 2016
Pages: 142
Paperback: $80
Publisher: Science Publishing Group
To purchase hard copies of this book, please email: book@sciencepublishinggroup.com
Book Description

An archaeological site provides us with affluent information on climatic and geologic phenomena during late Pleistocene and Holocene. It is pursued by means of extensive research integrating stratigraphy, paleontology, geochronology and geophysics. Through such multidisciplinary approach, the authors attempt to describe life of the ancients on post-glacial Far East, which has never been understood in the framework of long-term environmental changes.

Author Introduction

Yasuto Itoh received a PhD in Kyoto University. Now he is the Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Science of Osaka Prefecture University. He conducts research into tectonics, stratigraphy and paleomagnetism, and has published about 100 papers in the field of backarc opening processes, deformation mode of active plate margins, quantitative assessment of active faults, paleoenvironment of East Asia and geochemical modeling of burial history of sedimentary basins. His professional memberships include: American Geophysical Union; American Association of Petroleum Geologists; Japan Geoscience Union; Japanese Association for Petroleum Technology. He is also a member of the Integrated Research Project for Active Fault Systems by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

Keiji Takemura received a PhD in Kyoto University related to geological science. Now he is the Professor of the Graduate School of Science of Kyoto University. He conducts research into stratigraphy, active tectonics, tephrochronology and geothermal sciences, and has published more than 300 papers (half in English) in the field of Quaternary sciences of active faults, paleogeography and tectonic history of southwest Japan, environmental changes from lake and bay sediments, geothermal geology, soil engineering, and geoarchaeology. His professional memberships include: American Geophysical Union, Japan Geoscience Union, Japanese Association for Quaternary Sciences and Geological Society of Japan. He is also a leader of one program of the Integrated Research Project for Active Fault Systems by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

Hideki Takada graduated from Nara University in the course of Department of the Preservation of Cultural Properties, Faculty of Letters. Now he is the Counselor and Director of the Mawaki Site Jomon Museum of Headquarters of Education, Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture. He has been engaged in the excavation and archaeological researches of Mawaki Archaeological site of Noto Peninsula since 1981. He conducts research into stratigraphy of archaeological sites, cultural remains such as pottery and stone tools, and he published important excavation reports in Noto Peninsula. His professional memberships include: The Japanese Archaeological Association, Japanese Society for Scientific Studies on Cultural Property, and Ishikawa Society of Archaeological Studies. He is also a leader of program of Environmental Reconstruction at Mawaki Archaeological Site, Noto Peninsula.

Table of Contents
  • The Whole Book

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  • Front Matter

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  • Chapter 1 Outline of Noto Peninsula and Toyama Bay: Tectonic and Geological Framework

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    1. 1.1 Landforms
    2. 1.2 Geology
    3. 1.3 Geophysics
    4. 1.3.1 Gravity Anomaly
    5. 1.3.2 Geomagnetic Anomaly
    6. 1.3.3 Seismic Survey
    7. 1.4 Tectonics
    8. 1.4.1 Miocene Backarc Rifting
    9. 1.4.2 Neotectonic Events
    10. 1.4.3 Origin of Paradoxical Bouguer Anomaly Around the Jinzu Spur
  • Chapter 2 An Overview of the Mawaki Archaeological Site with a Focus on Its Archaeological Significance

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    1. 2.1 Introduction: The Significance of the Site of Mawaki
    2. 2.2 History of Excavations Since 1982 at Mawaki
    3. 2.2.1 The Early Phase Excavations: Phase of New Discoveries
    4. 2.2.2 The Late Phase Excavation: The Establishment of Mawaki as a National Historic Site
    5. 2.3 Overview of Its Archaeological Significance
  • Chapter 3 Holocene Stratigraphy from the Mawaki Archaeological Site and the Occurrence and Significance of Dolphin Bones

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    1. 3.1 Introduction
    2. 3.2 Drilling Operations and Geoslicer Sampling at the Mawaki Site
    3. 3.3 Stratigraphy of Drilled Core and Geoslicer Sediment Samples
    4. 3.4 Holocene Lithostratigraphy to the Shoreline at Mawaki
    5. 3.4.1 Basement Structure
    6. 3.4.2 Sedimentary Facies and Sedimentary Environment Change
    7. 3.4.3 Facies of Transgression and Regression
    8. 3.4.4 Characteristics of Sediments Including Dolphin Bones Horizon
    9. 3.4.5 Development of Terrestrial Topography and Transition of Human Relics
    10. 3.5 Summary
  • Chapter 4 Radiocarbon Dating of Holocene Sediments at the Mawaki Site by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

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    1. 4.1 Introduction
    2. 4.2 Two Methods of 14C Dating
    3. 4.3 Process of Calendar Age Determination and Evaluation of Marine Reservoir Effect
    4. 4.4 Sediment Samples from the Mawaki Site for 14C Dating
    5. 4.5 Fundamental Procedures of Sample Preparation
    6. 4.5.1 Preparation of Dolphin Bone
    7. 4.5.2 Preparation of Plant, Wood and Shell Samples
    8. 4.6 14C Measurement by AMS
    9. 4.7 Results
    10. 4.7.1 Age Determination of Dolphin Bones
    11. 4.7.2 Core Samples
    12. 4.8 Discussion
    13. 4.8.1 Age of Dolphin Bones
    14. 4.8.2 Age-Height Relation Plot of Bored Sediment Samples
    15. 4.8.3 Comparison of 14C Ages of Terrestrial and Marine Materials
    16. 4.9 Summary
  • Chapter 5 Analysis of Pollen and Diatoms in the Mawaki Area, Noto Peninsula, During Holocene: A Microscopic Perspective of the Mawaki Environment

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    1. 5.1 Introduction
    2. 5.2 Methods and Analytical Samples
    3. 5.2.1 Pollen Analysis
    4. 5.2.2 Diatom Analysis
    5. 5.3 Reconstruction of Vegetation and Water Environment Around the Site
    6. 5.3.1 Pollen Assemblage and Interpretation of Vegetation
    7. 5.3.2 Vegetational Change in and Around Mawaki Site in Space and Time
    8. 5.3.3 Diatom Assemblage and Environmental Change
    9. 5.4 Conclusive Remarks
  • Chapter 6 Holocene Sea Level Change and Mawaki Archaeological Site

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    1. 6.1 Introduction
    2. 6.2 Interactions Between Sea Level Change and Human Activities
    3. 6.3 Summary of Geoarchaeological Data
    4. 6.3.1 Lithology and Stratigraphy
    5. 6.3.2 Radiocarbon Ages of Borehole Samples and Dolphin Bones
    6. 6.3.3 Micropaleontological Information
    7. 6.4 Discussion
    8. 6.4.1 Paleoenvironments
    9. 6.4.2 Eustatic Sea Levels
    10. 6.4.3 History of the Mawaki Archaeological Site Related with the Discovery of Dolphin Bones
    11. 6.5 Summary
  • Back Matter

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