International workshop and symposium

The Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University organized an international workshop for 2017 as indicated below.

■Title of the workshop: 
  Palaeoenvironemnt and lithic raw material acquisition during MIS2 and early MIS1: a comparative perspective

■Date and venue:
  (1) Date: October 28, 2017
  (2) Venue of the workshop session: A7-8 conference room, Academy Common Building, Meiji  University, 1-1 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, 101-8301, Japan

■Aims and objectives of the workshop:
  Elucidation of correlations between palaeoenvironment and lithic raw material acquisition is one of the key issues of prehistoric studies worldwide. Results of human access to various lithic raw materials, irrespective of local or non-local rocks, are exactly remain at the given archaeological site compare to organic materials such as animal bones and wooden materials which delicately depend on local soil conditions of preservation. This workshop covers the time range during MIS2 and the early Holocene, and aims to discuss on these topics with particular emphasis on comparative perspective between Europe and East Asia. Specifically, Pleistocene-Holocene transitional period gave strong impact on human subsistence of raw material acquisition and life ways in rapid environmental changes. Archaeological interpretations of lithic raw material acquisition and distribution pattern or transportation systems have developed in various areas with many case studies on different lithic raw materials. We focus therefore on the commonality and difference of hunting and gathering strategies, lithic raw material transportation, distribution patterns between Central Europe and Japanese islands. As fundamental issues, obsidian provenance studies, and the traceological studies will also be discussed in this workshop.

■Program: 
 9:00－9:05 Welcome address
　Yoshiro Abe (Director of the Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies)
 9:05－9:15 Opening address by the organizer
　Akira Ono (Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University, Japan)
 9:15－9:45
　1．Dieter Schäfer (University of Innsbruck, Austria) , The landscape archaeological project  Ullafelsen (Austria) : updated results.
 9:45－10:15
　2．Stefano Bertola（University of Innsbruck, Austria）, Lithic raw material exploitation and circulation in Tyrol during early MIS1: The case-study of the Ullafelsen site (Sellrain, Innsbruck) .
 10:15－10:45
　3．Akira Ono (Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University, Japan) , Obsidian acquisition and migration range in the Upper Plalaeolithic: A case of Mattobara site, north central Japan.
＜Break＞ 
 11:00－11:30
　4．Ryuzo Fujiyama (Archaeology Department, Meiji University, Japan), Early Holocene human adaptation in the Japanese Archipelago.
 11:30－12:00
　5．Alfred Pawlik (University of the Philippines, the Philippines) , Human migration and maritime adaptation in the Philippines from the late Pleistocene to early/mid Holocene.
<Lunch break> Poster session core time 12:30-13:30
Posters Session:
Sara Ozaki (Graduate school, Meiji University), Raw material procurement, production, and distribution of lithics in the Terminal Phase of Pleistocene Hokkaido, Japan.
Takumi Sakamoto (Graduate student, Meiji University), Seasonal utilization of marine shellfish resources in Jomon prehistoric Japan.
Kyosuke Hori (Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Center), Settlement mobility and lithic technology of the late Upper Palaeolithic during the Last Glacial Maximum, southern Kanto region, Japan .
Eiko Endo (Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies), Chasing Panicum miliaceum across Eurasia, using Replica-SEM method.

 13:30－14:00 (Oral Session continued)
　6．Hiroyuki Murata (Nagawa Town Board of Education, Japan ) , Use-wear analysis of stone tools from Nagawa (Nagano Prefecture, Japan).
 14:00－14:30
　7．Hidehisa Mashima (Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University, Japan) , Sourcing of Japanese obsidian with XRF.
 14:30－15:00
　8．Akihiro Yoshida (Geography Department, Kagohima University, Japan) , Impact of landscape changes on obsidian exploitation since the Palaeolithic in the central highland of Japan: Recent advance and some issue on palaeoenvironmental study.
<Break> 
 15:15－15:45
　9．Kazutaka Shimada (University Museum, Meiji University, Japan) , Obsidian procurement and accumulation process of a lithic assemblage at the Early Upper Palaeolithic site of  Hiroppara II, Central Highlands, Japan
 15:45－16:15
　10．Jun Hashizume (Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University, Japan) , Human activity in and around obsidian sources: A case study from the Hirropara site I, Central Highlands of Japan
 16:15－17:15
　・Discussion 
 
■Organizing committee:
 Yoshiro Abe 
 Akira Ono
 Kazutaka Shimada, Secretariat: moirai3sis2@gmail.com
 Hidehisa Mashima (COLS)
 Jun Hashizume (COLS)

 

■ Sponsored by:

・Meiji University International Exchange Fund

・Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Number:15H03268

・Center for Obsidian and Lithic Studies, Meiji University

In 2011, we organized the First International Workshop and Symposium focusing on the “Methodological issues of obsidian provenance studies and the standardization of geologic obsidian.” The specific goal and focus were: 1) the introduction of new methodological prospects for obsidian analysis, or synthesis of obsidian provenance studies on specific areas, and 2) a discussion regarding the way to standardize geologic obsidian samples and share them among different laboratories.
In 2012, we are also organizing the Second International Symposium on“Lithic raw material exploitation and circulation in prehistory: a comparative perspective in a diverse paleoenvironment” (abbreviated: LRM Symposium). This symposium will focus on the archaeological interpretations of lithic raw material procurement systems and the distribution patterns or transportation systems. The purpose of this symposium is to discuss these topics with particular reference to a comparative perspective between Europe and East Asia.