Stone Spear Points from the Dawn of the Jomon Period
The Artifacts Excavated from the Maedakochi Site, Tokyo (東京都前田耕地遺跡出土品, Tokyo-to Maedakochi Iseki Shutsudohin) are a group of stone tools, chiefly spear points, from the Palaeolithic to the Jomon period, found at the Maedakochi site in Akiruno City, Tokyo, which in 1990 were designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records them as archaeological materials, one set, owned by Tokyo Metropolis. They are kept at the Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center in Tama City, except eight spear points held by the National Museum of Japanese History in Sakura, Chiba.
The Agency places the site on a river terrace on the left bank of the Aki River where it meets the Tama River, recording the location at designation as Akigawa City, now Akiruno.
What the Set Contains
According to the Agency, the set consists of stone tools centred on spear points, found in four concentrations.
Akiruno City says two Incipient Jomon dwellings were found with six concentrations of stone-working debris, yielding 2,246 spear points and unfinished blanks, mostly of good chert from the riverbed, and more than 500,000 flakes. The number of concentrations differs from the Agency's description.
The city adds that 7,000 salmonid teeth and bones of bears and other mammals were found, the oldest evidence of river fishing in the Japanese archipelago.
Why It Matters
Akiruno City explains that when found, the dwellings were the oldest Incipient Jomon houses then known, thought to be about 13,000 years old; recent radiocarbon research dates them to about 15,500 years ago.
With so many spear points, blanks and flakes found together, the set shows the whole process of making spear points, while the salmon teeth shed light on how people lived at the very start of the Jomon period.
Seeing the Maedakochi Finds
Akiruno City says the finds are stored at the Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center in Tama City. Check display information with the center or the National Museum of Japanese History.
Enquiries about the site go to the Akiruno City cultural properties section at the Itsukaichi Local Museum, 042-596-4069.
Q&A
- When were the Maedakochi Site artifacts designated?
- They were designated an Important Cultural Property on 29 June 1990.
- What do the Maedakochi Site artifacts include?
- Stone tools, chiefly spear points; Akiruno City counts 2,246 spear points and blanks.
- How old is the Maedakochi Site?
- About 15,500 years old by radiocarbon dating, according to Akiruno City.
- Were fish remains found at the Maedakochi Site?
- Yes; 7,000 salmonid teeth, the oldest evidence of river fishing in the archipelago.
- Where are the Maedakochi Site artifacts kept?
- At the Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center in Tama City, with eight spear points at the National Museum of Japanese History.
Basic Information
| Name | Artifacts Excavated from the Maedakochi Site, Tokyo (東京都前田耕地遺跡出土品) |
|---|---|
| Location | Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center, 1-14-2 Ochiai, Tama City, Tokyo, and elsewhere |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (archaeological materials) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1990/6/29 (Heisei 2) |
| Quantity | One set |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Tokyo Metropolis |
| Public Access | Check display with the holding institutions |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Maedakochi Site Artifacts (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/10075
- Cultural Heritage Online: Maedakochi Site Artifacts (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/135397
- Akiruno City: Maedakochi Site (Japanese)
- https://www.city.akiruno.tokyo.jp/0000011091.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28