Three Types of Archaeological Sites
The Lake Nojiri Archaeological Sites are classified into three main types according to their locations and geological layers. This classification helps researchers understand the different environments in which prehistoric people lived and worked.
Sites in Wind-Deposited Layers
These sites are located on surrounding hills and were formed in layers of loam deposited by wind between approximately 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. Unlike sites associated with wetlands or the lakebed, they are thought to preserve traces of human activity on relatively dry land.
Representative examples include the Nukinoki Site, Shogetsudai Site, and Uenohara Site.
Sites with Both Lake and Wind Deposits
These sites developed in low-lying, wet areas where geological layers contain both lake sediments and layers deposited by wind. The combination of these deposits provides clues about changes in the local environment over long periods.
Representative sites include the Nakamachi Site, Mukoshinden Site, and Kawakubo Site.
Lakebed Sites
The third type consists of sites formed beneath Lake Nojiri itself, including the Tachigahana Site and Sugikubo Site. During winter, the water level of the lake falls because of water use by the Ikejiri River Power Station operated by Tohoku Electric Power. Portions of the lakebed can then emerge, making archaeological excavation possible.
This unusual situation has made Lake Nojiri an especially valuable location for studying prehistoric sites that are normally hidden beneath the water.
The Discovery of the Prehistoric Sites
The First Discoveries
The modern history of research at Lake Nojiri began in 1948, when Matsunosuke Kato, a local innkeeper, accidentally discovered a molar belonging to a Naumann elephant.
In 1953, Stone Age artifacts collected by Toranosuke Ikeda were found to include Paleolithic tools. One distinctive type of knife-shaped stone tool was subsequently named the Sugikubo-type knife-shaped stone tool, after the Sugikubo Site.
Excavations Begin in 1962
Systematic archaeological excavations around the lake and on its lakebed began in 1962. Since then, the Lake Nojiri Excavation Research Group, headquartered at the Lake Nojiri Naumann Elephant Museum, has conducted large-scale excavations approximately once every three years.
One of the most distinctive features of the project is its system of public participation. People from across Japan have been able to take part in excavations, creating an unusual connection between professional archaeological research, education, and the local community.
Discoveries from the Ice Age
Naumann Elephants and Giant Deer
The first major excavations uncovered fossils of Naumann elephants and Yabe’s giant deer, demonstrating that the remains belonged to animals that lived during the Ice Age.
One particularly large excavation took place in 1973, when more than 1,000 people participated in the fifth excavation. Among the discoveries was a symbolic fossil formation known as “The Moon and the Stars”.
These finds transformed Lake Nojiri into one of Japan’s most important locations for understanding the relationship between prehistoric humans and the large mammals that once inhabited the Japanese archipelago.
Artifacts Reveal How Prehistoric People Lived
At sites such as Tachigahana, human-made artifacts and animal remains have been found within the same geological layers. This is particularly significant because it provides evidence linking human activity with the animals and environment of the period.
Among the discoveries are bone tools made from Naumann elephant ivory, knife-shaped stone tools, and bones of small and medium-sized animals. These artifacts are believed to preserve evidence of activities such as hunting and gathering wild plants.
A Possible Paleolithic Camp
In 1993, researchers discovered a structure known as a circular block concentration at the Hinatayabayashi B Site. Stone tools were concentrated in a roughly circular arrangement, suggesting that the location may have been a campsite used by Paleolithic people.
The discovery provides a glimpse into how prehistoric communities organized their activities and used the landscape around Lake Nojiri.
Important Cultural Properties
Several artifacts discovered at the Lake Nojiri Archaeological Sites have received official cultural designations. A Naumann elephant molar fossil has been designated a natural monument of Shinano Town, while the bone tools from the Tachigahana Site and stone tools from the Sugikubo Site are designated tangible cultural properties of the town.
In addition, 202 stone tools from the Hinatayabayashi B Site were designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan in 2011, highlighting the national significance of the archaeological discoveries made in the Lake Nojiri area.
Lake Nojiri Naumann Elephant Museum
Many of the important artifacts recovered from the archaeological sites are preserved and displayed at the Lake Nojiri Naumann Elephant Museum. The museum introduces the discoveries through explanations, models, and educational exhibits designed to make prehistoric life accessible to visitors.
Visitors can also experience hands-on archaeological activities and learn about the excavation process. The museum serves as an important cultural center where scientific research, local history, and tourism come together.
A Living Archaeological Project
The Lake Nojiri Archaeological Sites are unusual not only because of what has been discovered, but also because excavation and research have continued through the participation of ordinary citizens.
The large public excavations provide opportunities for people without professional archaeological backgrounds to experience the process of uncovering ancient remains. This approach has helped connect archaeological research with community education and cultural activities.
A Window into Prehistoric Japan
The Lake Nojiri Archaeological Sites provide compelling evidence of human life during the Paleolithic period, when people shared the landscape with enormous mammals such as Naumann elephants and giant deer.
Stone tools, ivory artifacts, animal remains, and possible campsite structures allow researchers to reconstruct aspects of prehistoric life and explore how humans interacted with their environment.
Step into the Deep History of Lake Nojiri
For travelers visiting Lake Nojiri, the archaeological sites offer a chance to look far beyond the beautiful mountain scenery visible today. Beneath the lake and within the surrounding hills lies a record of a world that existed tens of thousands of years ago.
A visit to the Lake Nojiri Naumann Elephant Museum is an excellent way to deepen your understanding of this ancient landscape. By seeing the fossils and artifacts discovered here, visitors can imagine a time when Ice Age animals roamed northern Nagano and prehistoric people hunted and gathered along the shores of the lake.
Lake Nojiri is not simply a scenic highland destination—it is also a place where the story of prehistoric Japan continues to be uncovered.