The Jomon Period on Hachijojima

Two Jomon Ruins Remaining on the Island

It was once thought that "no people lived on Hachijojima during the Stone Age as it was beyond the main Kuroshio Current." However, the discovery and investigation of two new archaeological sites revealed that people did live on Hachijojima during the Jomon period. One is the "Yubama Ruins," dating back about 7,000 years. Stone axes, stone plates, grinding stones, and thick, unpatterned earthenware have been unearthed, as well as obsidian from Kozushima. However, it is believed that people did not live there for long. The other is the "Kurawa Ruins," from about 5,000 years ago. The discovery of many animal and fish bones indicates that the inhabitants lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering. Furthermore, ornaments made on the mainland and pottery from a wide range of regions were brought to the island, revealing that during this period there was active traffic between Hachijojima and both the mainland and the northern Izu Islands, and that the Jomon culture of the mainland had spread to the island.