Toro (archaeological site)

Template:Short description Template:Infobox ancient site is an archaeological site in Suruga Ward in Shizuoka City, southwest of Tokyo, Japan. The site contains the ruins of a settlement which dates to the 1st century CE, in the late Yayoi period. Discovered in 1943, it was excavated from 1947 to 1948 and designated a Special Historic Site of Japan in 1952. Toro is also the name of the area surrounding it in the Japanese addressing system.

Background

Toro is notable as the first archaeological site excavated in Japan in which remains of 1st-century CE Yayoi-era wet-rice paddy fields were found.Template:Sfnm The site was discovered in 1943 during construction work on a military munitions plant in World War II, and was excavated in 1947 and 1948. In 1965 an excavation survey was conducted before the construction of Tōmei Expressway within the planned route.

As well as the agricultural remains, archaeological findings included Pit-house dwellings, refuse pits, and raised-floor buildings. Many artifacts were also unearthed. The preservation at the Toro site was so complete that a large number of 2000-year-old wooden farming tools were excavated.Template:Sfn The site was re-excavated from 1999 to 2003, during which time additional artifacts were uncovered.Template:Sfn

The archaeological remains from Toro elicited such an intense interest from Japanese archaeologists that the Japanese Archaeological Association was formed to study it.Template:Sfnm Toro has been used as a type site for Yayoi culture despite the fact that the location of the settlement in the Tōkai region was peripheral to what has traditionally been considered the Yayoi formation area in northern Kyūshū.Template:Sfn

Site

File:Shizuoka City Toro Museum.JPG

Shizuoka City Toro Museum

The total area of the Toro site is . Twelve pit-houses were excavated but as the archaeologists were not able to establish the boundaries of the original Yayoi settlement, the true size of the village is unknown and may have been much larger. In addition to the houses, two raised-floor buildings were found. Archaeologists interpret these as storehouses.Template:Sfn

The Toro pit-dwellings had a roughly living area, with a double skirting wall approximately high around the circumference. Four wooden posts were sunk into the ground, with beams connecting at the top, and rafters radiating down to the ground level. The whole was covered in thatch. Within, the floor level was even with the outside ground, and a hearth was sunk into the floor in the center. The elevated buildings had an entrance ladder carved from a single log of wood. These buildings were apparently built of planks, using a mortise and tenon joinery method, which indicates that the builders had use of iron tools.Template:Sfn

Over fifty rice paddies were uncovered, comprising seventy thousand square metres with refined irrigation practices. Template:Sfn

The Toro community was wiped out by a catastrophic flood of the Abe River. Template:Sfn

The site is now preserved as a public archaeological park with reconstructed buildings and rice fields, and is protected by the Japanese government as a National Historic Monument. A museum at the site preserves and displays many of the artifacts discovered. 775 artifacts excavated from Toro site are designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2016.

Gallery

• View from the entry to the site
  View from the entry to the site
• Museum
  Museum
• Diorama in the museum
  Diorama in the museum
• restored pit dwelling
  restored pit dwelling
• restored ceremonial building
  restored ceremonial building

See also

• List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
• List of Historic Sites of Japan (Shizuoka)
• Yoshinogari site

References

Further reading

• First official excavation report.
• Three volumes with Archaeological Surveys, Natural Science Analysis and Summary, and Supplement.

External links

• Japan Atlas: Toro site
• Shizuoka City government site Template:In lang
• Shizuoka City Toro Museum Template:In lang