International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B5. Istanbul 2004 
  
3.3.1 Estimating the Site catchment of Karekinomiya 
Settlement 
The same procedure used in the Shingu settlement is applied to 
estimate the catchment (Figure 12). 
   
      
  
Time 
RE Hish : 20299157 kilometers 
   
    
i Lows 1 0000000 L j 
Figure 12. The estimated site catchment of Karekinomiya 
settlement 
3.3.2 Environment within the Catchment Area of 
Karekinomiya Settlement 
The same procedure used in the Shingu settlement is applied to 
calculate the percentage of environmental factor per unit area 
(Figure 13). 
  
  
—+-—base of 
mountain 
78 gravel 
plateau 
natural 
levee 
deltaic 
lowland 
—+— Mudflat 
  
0-20 20-40 40-60 60-80 80-100 100-120 
  
  
  
  
Figure 13. Graph shows the percentage of environmental factor 
per unit area (Karekinomiya settlement). 
Again, the graph indicates the turning point of surrounding 
environments at around 50 minutes walk from the settlement. The 
graph indicates that the peak of accessible deltaic lowland is 
around the 50 minutes walk from the settlement. Also, the 
percentage of gravel plateau and mudflat is inverted around the 
threshold of 50 minutes. Especially, increase of the gravel plateau 
after the 50 minutes threshold is significant. The result implies the 
existence of marshy landscape at area below the threshold, and 
comparatively dry landscape at area above the threshold. It is 
reasonable to assume the existence of different way of land 
utilization according to the environmental difference. 
3.3.3 Activities held in Karekinomiya Settlement 
The significant characteristic of the site is the existence of shell 
mound and uncovered natural remains (i.e. animal bones and 
fish bones). + shell mound and bones implies that the food 
gathering activity of Karekinomiya was emphasized on the 
fishery and hunting. In fact, the composition of the uncovered 
artifacts supports this hypothesis. Stone arrowhead, stone 
spearhead, and stone sinker have been uncovered from the site, 
while grinding set did not. According to the excavation report 
(Education Board of Nishio, 1981), most of the animal bones 
were of the animals which habitats in forest area. 
3.4 Reconstructing the Karekinomiya Settlement and 
Surrounding Environment 
Same procedures used for Shingu settlement was adapted for 
reconstructing the vegetation, and for visualization (Figure 14), 
The land utilization of Karekinomiya settlement was considered 
based on the graph (Figure 13) and the CG (Figure 14). The 
land use of catchment can be estimated as coast area for fishery, 
and other area as hunting site. Especially around the border of 
the marshy condition and dry condition, which is around 50 min 
threshold can be important for the hunting site. 
Open Forest Natural Forest 
Settlement Secondary Forest 
0 min 
  
oas Lowland 
| 
Figure 14. The environment inside catchment area and its 
spatial structure referred with the corresponding 
food-gathering activities (Karekinomiya site). 
  
Hunting | 
  
3.5 Comparing Shingu Settlement and Karekinomiya 
Settlement from the Viewpoint of Environmental 
Endurance 
Shingu site and Karekinomiya site were contemporary 
settlements (i.e. first half of the latest stage of Jomon period). 
But only Shingu site survived the next later half of the last stage. 
It is known that some other settlements have perished after the 
first half of the latest stage as same as Karekinomiya site. One 
of the leading hypothesises is the influence of the dropping of 
temperature and relating sea level change occurred in this stage. 
Excavation reports explains that there was an increase of pinus 
and the decrease of Quercus, which implies a dropping 
temperature and influence to the vegetation. On the other hand, 
Koumura (1983) pointed out that the marine regression of about 
3m decrease in sea level is expected, and the environmental 
changes have severely influenced the life of the Jomon people. 
The marine regression is estimated by thresholding the DEM by 
sea level (Figure 15). 
VY 
  
   
   
= 
a (34 
Figure 15. Change of the coast line and its distance from the 
Karekinomiya settlement 
The catchment analysis shows the regression of coast line to 
near the border of the 50 minutes threshold. Simply the time 
cost has doubled for the people to reach the coast. 
   
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