Moro Site
Archaeological site in Tokyo, Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Moro Site (茂呂遺跡, Moro iseki), also referred to as the Moro archaeological site, is a Paleolithic archaeological site located within Jōhoku-Chūō Park in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, Japan. It is known for the discovery of stone tools dating to the Japanese Paleolithic period.[1][2]
茂呂遺跡 | |
Stone marker and information board on the west side of the site | |
 Interactive map of Moro Site | |
| Location | Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°45′14.5614″N 139°40′35.583″E |
| Type | Archaeological site |
| History | |
| Periods | Japanese Paleolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Public |
| Public access | No |
History
In March 1951, a junior high school student, Hiroshi Takizawa (瀧澤 浩), who later became an archaeologist, discovered obsidian stone tools and clusters of pebbles in a road cutting through a hill known as Osedo-yama (オセド山).[1] A joint excavation was conducted by Meiji University and the Musashino Museum in July of the same year.[1]
This investigation was one of the earliest studies of the Japanese Paleolithic in the Kantō region, following research at the Iwajuku site in Gunma Prefecture.[2] The findings demonstrated that Paleolithic culture, predating the Jōmon period, was present across the Japanese archipelago.[2] A distinctive type of knife-shaped stone tool discovered at the site was later named the Moro-type knife-shaped stone tool (茂呂型ナイフ形石器, Moro-gata naifu-gata sekki).[1]
The excavated assemblage includes burins, side-scrapers, lithic flakes, and backed points.[1] The site was designated a historic site of Tokyo in 1969 and of Itabashi Ward in 1984.[2] In 1999, 22 excavated stone tools were designated as tangible cultural properties of Tokyo.[2]
Location
The site is located within Jōhoku-Chūō Park, a large public park spanning parts of Itabashi and Nerima wards in Tokyo.[1] It lies in a wooded area of the park and is not accessible to the public in order to protect the site. A stone marker and information boards indicate its location.
