Updated:March 19, 2020

Mayor’s comment about national important cultural asset designation of Fukui Cave.

March 19, 2020

 

A report was submitted to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology so that the one from the "Fukui cave" located in Sasebo-City Yoshii-cho "artifacts" might be designated as a national important cultural asset (tangible cultural properties, Industrial art works and Archaeology material) in a national cultural council on March 19, 2020.

 

"Fukui cave" is excavated by Japanese Archaeological Association for investigation in 1960, 1963 and 1964 at the sandstone cave formed out of erosion on Fukui river in the Sasebo-city north, and material of a transitional period of the Jomon period is unearthed like the layer place from the Paleolithic era, this is designated by an outcome as a national ruin in 1978.

 

It's artifacts of the research excavation which had the historical site maintenance put into effect by the Board of Education of Sasebo-City for its object to become a designation target of a national important cultural asset this time from 2011 to fiscal year 2012.

 

The inclusion layer in the Jomon period pioneer days was confirmed by this research excavation like the layer place from the Paleolithic era once more, and earthen vessels and microlith tools were often unearthed from each bed. A report is submitted about one 18 earthen vessels of these inside and the Jomon period beginning of pioneer days and total of 630 points which have added 343 points of flakes and fragments to 269 microlith tools of the Jomon period from the Paleolithic era.

 

They're the microlith tools and the earthen vessels which indicate a change in microlith tool group from the paleolithic end to the beginning of the Jomon period to mark this case. It's the feature which isn't in other areas that microlith tools and an earthen vessels of a protuberance line sentence and a nail-shaped sentence were unearthed from the same stratum in the upper part in Fukui cave (2 and 3 layers) in particular. The remaining state is good and joining material of microlith tools is unearthed in a substratum in Fukui cave (12 layers), and the evaluation which has very high academic value about the technology from which microlith is detached and the point that it's possible to read a process clearly is accomplished.

 

This, archaeology material will be a national designation important cultural asset formally via gazette bulletin in 2020, but since artifacts in Sempukuji cave in 1996, it'll be 24 years after that 11th example of archaeology material of this city was designated as a national important cultural asset nationwide as paleolithic artifacts.

 

For everybody of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Cultural Council Commissioner which took up the value of "Fukui cave artifacts" and everybody related in this city including everybody of the Fukui cave maintenance committee members who gave understanding and great cooperation to the former investigation, I would like to express my sincere thanks.

 

We will endeavor to preserve the Fukui Cave archaeology material in posterity as treasure in Sasebo-city as well as the valuable cultural asset which indicates history of our country. Furthermore, we intend to appeal to the inside and outside of the country that we have Japan’s No. 1 sandstone cave remains by exhibiting those archaeology material at Fukui Cave Guidance Facilities scheduled to be opened in spring next year together with Fukui Cave historical site maintenance completed in March, 2019.

 

All the citizens are kindly requested to understand and cooperate with our intension to preserve cultural assets of this city from now on.

Norio Tomonaga
Mayor of Sasebo