One of the Largest Jomon Pit Houses Unearthed

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:34 JST, November 6, 2024

HACHINOHE, Aomori — Remains of a 15-meter pit house were discovered in the Matsugasaki ruin, where a Jomon period settlement site had been unearthed, in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, the Korekawa Archaeological Institution announced on Oct. 19.

Institution members have been excavating the site, measuring over 8,000 square meters, since fiscal 2019, discovering about 200 building remains. The recently discovered structure is the largest unearthed in this excavation and one of the largest in the city.

According to the institution, the pit house’s remains, measuring approximately 15 meters in width and 5 meters in length, were identified in the west part of the research area in September. Traces of a hearth used for cooking and heating, as well as clay pots, were also discovered.

“It is a valuable discovery to help understand the lives of people in the Jomon period,” said an institution official.