The Birthplace of Archeology in Japan

Omori shell Mounds

(Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo)

【Kaizuka（貝塚）】is a shell mound, a household garbage dump of ancient people. It consists of shells, animal born, fragment of potteries, etc. The shell wastes evoke a real image of ancient life.

 Archeology in Japan started at the center of Tokyo. Edward S. Morse, American zoologist, happened to find a shell mound at Omori, Tokyo in 1877. 

 On 17th June 1877 , Morse visited Japan for the first time for his research of brachiopods. After just two days of arrival, he found a layer of shells was exposed on the ground while looking out of a train window outside from Yokohama and Shinbashi. The shells were an ancient trash pile that contained potteries, borns and implements worked out of hones. The discovery opened the door of archeology in Japan.

He named the site as "Omori Shell Mounds (貝塚)”. “Omori” is the station name nearest to the site whee he got off to see the site.

His finding was not only the shell heap but also ancient earthenware potteries that were ornamented by patterns of ropes. He described these potteries as "cord marked pottery",which was translated into Japanese as “Jomon (縄文)”. He reported this discovery to 'Nature' in Nov. 29 1877. The name, Jomon pottery, came to represent the potteries of the primitive era (14000 B.C. ~ 10th century B.C.). Then eventually it became the name of this age, "Jomon era".

Nowadays the site is remained as a park with decorations of prehistory-ish looking like rope-patterned earthenware pottery. A fountain spraying mist sits at the center of the park. Neighborhood children are playing around it. Parents and kids are learning with displays detailing the prehistoric life. At the back of the park, you can see a small part of the shell mound. A withe layer of shells are sandwiched between dark soils.

There is the Shinagawa Historical Museum within five minutes walk distance from the park. The museum displays about history of Shinagawa area from primitive age to present age. Second floor is dedicated to the Omori Shell Mounds (recognized as a historic site of Japan) displaying unearthed objects from the mounds and books written by Mose.