【Gifu Prefecture, Hida City】A Feat for the First Time in 30 Years! 'Stone Rods', Prayer Tools of the Jomon Period Excavated in Miyagawa Town, Hida City, and 377 Other Items Designated as National Important Cultural Properties! Recognized for High Academic Value as Materials for Elucidating Production Processes

Hida City, Gifu Prefecture (Mayor: Junya Tsurubuchi) announces that 377 items, including stone rods and Jomon pottery excavated from the Shima Ruins and Shioya Kinseijinja Shrine Ruins within the city, have been recommended by the Cultural Council to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for designation as National Important Cultural Properties (Art and Crafts). This designation marks the 11th national cultural property in Hida City and the second National Important Cultural Property (Art and Crafts), following the 'Items Excavated from the Nakano Nakayama Kōi Ruins in Gifu Prefecture' (1996).

Agency for Cultural Affairs Website

Value as a "Sacred Site for Stone Rods"

The Shima Ruins and Shioya Kinseijinja Shrine Ruins, located in Miyagawa Town, Hida City, are rare sites that clearly preserve the traces of stone rod production, which are representative ritual objects of the Jomon period. Using vesiculated tuff (commonly known as Shioya stone) collected nearby as material, the process of stone rod production from approximately 4,500 years ago (Middle Jomon) to 3,500 years ago (Late/Final Jomon) was excavated together with unfinished products and tools (percussion stones, grinding stones).

In this recommendation, in addition to the fact that the origin of the material has been identified, its value as "standard reference material" systematically demonstrating the transition of stone rod forms from large to small was highly praised.

Main Points of This Designation

・ Designated Quantity

377 items

【Main Designation】284 items Stone rods 171, Tools 113 (Percussion stones 83, Grinding stones 30)

【Attached Items】93 items Flakes 24, Raw stones 11, Jomon pottery/earthenware products 53, Other stone tools 5

・ Complete Visualization of Stone Rod Production Process

Materials for each production stage, such as "flaking," "percussion," and "polishing," have been gathered, revealing the advanced processing techniques of the time and the existence of special processes involving fire.

・ Evidence of Wide-ranging Cultural Exchange

Jomon pottery with characteristics from Hokuriku, Shinshu, Kanto, and western Japan were excavated together. This proves that Hida has long been a crossroads of cultural exchange connecting various parts of Japan.

Explanation of the Stone Rod Production Process

Significance of Becoming an Important Cultural Property

The Hida City Board of Education has been conducting investigations for three years starting from fiscal year 2023.

The production process of stone rods, which are representative ritual tools of the Jomon period, is...