Motonobaru Site

The Motonobaru settlement spreads across a plateau at 180 meters elevation, featuring over 100 pit dwellings arranged in a circular pattern of 100 meters diameter.

The settlement, designated as a National Historic Site in 2004, contains artifacts and structures dating from the Jomon period, spanning approximately 16,500 to 2,800 years ago.

Within the excavated dwellings, researchers discovered carbonized nuts, bone powder, and numerous earthenware pieces that reveal the daily practices of ancient inhabitants.

The site contains a central plaza surrounded by storage pits and residential structures, demonstrating the organizational methods of early Japanese communities.

Researchers uncovered 179,237 pottery fragments weighing 2.8 tons, along with the oldest cockroach remains in Japan preserved through impressions in ancient ceramics.

Location: Miyazaki

GPS coordinates: 31.82306,131.28250

Latest update: March 11, 2025 12:12