Irie Site
Irie–Takasago Settlement · Irie Iseki
Late to Final Jomon 2000–500 BCE·Late–Final Jomon (Lake Toya)·🇯🇵 Hokkaido, Toyako Town, Abuta District, Lake Toya southern terrace (Irie–Takasago pair), Japan
About
About Irie Site
Late–Final Jomon permanent settlement (c.2000–500 BCE) at Lake Toya, counterpart to Takasago cemetery — 1.2 ha Irie terrace with 50+ pit dwellings, large shell middens, and lakeside fishing weirs (wooden stakes) excavated 1927–2006. Irie yielded 300+ lacquer vessels, amber and jade ornaments, and the deepest Jomon pit house (2.5 m). Together with Takasago 200 m away, Irie–Takasago forms the UNESCO Jomon 1632 dual property illustrating hunter-gatherer settlement persistence 1500 years and paired cemetery.
Why it mattersPaired settlement with Takasago — demonstrates Jomon settlement–cemetery duality and lakeside fishery sedentism 1500 years.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How deep 2.5 m pit house insulated — winter survival?
Theories
- 01Lake Toya microclimate sedentism; paired zoning as social complexity marker
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.2000 BCE Late Jomon; continuous to 500 BCE
- Period
- Late to Final Jomon 2000–500 BCE
- Culture
- Late–Final Jomon (Lake Toya)
- Builders
- Jomon lake-fisher communities
- Purpose
- Lakeside permanent village (paired with Takasago cemetery)
- Abandoned
- c.500 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1927 excavation; 2006 systematic
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.2000 BCE
Pit village founded on Lake Toya terrace
c.1400–500 BCE
Deep pit houses 2.5 m, shell midden, fishing weirs built
2021
UNESCO Irie–Takasago 1632 inscription
On the ground
Structures & features
42.5406° N · 140.7828° E · 80 m · 2 mapped features
Deep pit-house cluster
pit house50+ pits 5–7 m dia. deepest 2.5 m with lacquer floors
42.5407° N · 140.7826° ELakeside fishing weir
weirWooden stake weir 30 m in Lake Toya shallows
42.5402° N · 140.7830° E
Gallery