Fugoppe Cave
Fugoppe Rock Art Cave
Late Jomon to Epi-Jomon / Zoku-Jomon (c.300 BCE–350 CE, figures ~1600 BP)·Zoku-Jomon·🇯🇵 Hokkaido, Yoichi District, Yoichi Town, Maruyama Hill on National Route 5, Japan
About
About Fugoppe Cave
Zoku-Jomon rock art cave on Maruyama Hill beside National Route 5 outside Yoichi, discovered 1950, covering soft Miocene tuffaceous sandstone walls with ~800 pecked/abraded figures including winged figures, deer and boats dated ~1600 BP. Protected by 1953 National Historic Site museum enclosing cave opening, with Maruyama tuff exhibiting weathering and crack management challenges researched since 2001 GSA preservation studies.
Why it mattersZoku-Jomon cave with 800 pecked/abraded petroglyphs including winged figures on Maruyama Hill
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Abrasion vs pecking — why abrasion technique rare in NE Asia?
- 02Winged figure — shamanic or migration symbol
Theories
- 01Hokkaido Zoku-Jomon rock art continuity from Jomon stone circles to Epi-Jomon cave
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.300 BCE (engravings 1600 BP)
- Period
- Late Jomon to Epi-Jomon / Zoku-Jomon (c.300 BCE–350 CE, figures ~1600 BP)
- Culture
- Zoku-Jomon
- Builders
- Rock art engravers (Epi-Jomon)
- Purpose
- Enclosed tuff cave with 800 engraved figures (winged, animals, boats)
- Abandoned
- c.350 CE
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.300 BCE (engravings 1600 BP)
Initial construction
c. 1194 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
43.1947° N · 140.8372° E · 30 m · 2 mapped features
Main rock art wall
rock artContinuous engraved panel with winged and animal figures (museum reconstruction)
43.1949° N · 140.8374° ECave interior engravings
rock art800 pecked/abraded petroglyphs on tuffaceous sandstone walls
43.1945° N · 140.8370° E
Gallery