Kasori Kaizuka is a shell mound and settlement site from the Jomon Period, and was designated as a special historic site in 2017, one of the most important national historic sites.
A shell mound is the remains of a large number of discarded shells. Because the alkaline components of the shells neutralize the acidic soil, animal and human bones, teeth, fangs, and horns, which generally do not remain at archaeological sites, are protected and remain without melting. It is believed that many people lived in Chiba City during the Jomon period, and more than 120 shell middens have been discovered in the city. The Kasori Shell Mound is one of the largest in Japan when combined with the connected Kita (north) Shell Mound and Minami (south) Shell Mound.
The Kasori shell mound has been excavated many times from the Meiji period to the present. The museum houses a museum where visitors can view excavated artifacts such as earthenware, stoneware, and clay figures remains of pit dwellings, a field observation facility for observing the shell midden sections, and a reconstructed pit dwelling village, allowing visitors to travel back in time to the Jomon period.
Visitors can also enjoy learning through hands-on lectures and events.
Highlights
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Inside the museum, earthenware, stone tools, clay figures, human bones, and animal and fish bones found in the Kasori shell mound are on display.
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Visitors can also observe edible and medicinal plants believed to have existed during the Jomon period.
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There are also facilities for viewing cross sections of shell mounds in the northern and southern shell mounds and pit dwelling sites in the northern shell mound.
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The explanations at the pit dwelling site viewing facility, which reopened in October 2021, are available in four languages: English, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), and Korean.
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The museum offers hands-on programs only on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.
