A. Ancient East-northern Asia and Shanguo-zhi, Wei-shu

Progress

Result

The first workshop for this year was held in China. Though the group was at first scheduled to visit North Korea to carry out the survey planned last year, this was not possible as no improvement in the international situation was in sight throughout this year.

Therefore, as this year's field survey abroad, the group conducted a perambulation of sites or remains particularly related to this research, such as a stretch of Da Hinggan Lin, the north-western part of North-eastern China, and Mohe and Tahe in Heilongjiang (Basin of River Amur), and made an inspection of related artifacts displayed in the museum. This area was formerly the base of Xianbei, which built the nation of Northern Wei and ruled the northern part of China later for the period referred to in "Shanguo-zhi" Wei Chih Wo-jen Chuan; their culture greatly influenced the Eastern Provincial Barbarian countries. As the first Workshop, therefore, the group made a field survey of remains and artifacts related to Xianbei in the northern part of the Nei Mongol Province in China.

Out of those provinces originally scheduled to be surveyed, vehicular access for survey to the Jalainur site in Hulunbuir and Manzhouli provinces and the museums was unavailable because of a severe cold wave and heavy snowfall. Instead, in the Oroqin Autonomous Banner, the group visited the Oroqin Museum to inspect excavated artifacts from Xianbei-related sites and folklore materials of the present Orochon tribes. In the Oroqin Autonomous Banner, the group conducted a perambulation of the Gaxiandong Xianbei site and inspected epigraphy of the Northern Wei period on the cave walls. Through these surveys, the group was able to understand the actual statuses of Xianbei-related artifacts and remains of the period described in the "Shanguo-zhi."

The second Workshop was held at the National Museum of Japanese History at the end of January, at which 12 cooperative researchers made individual research presentations.

On the first day of the workshop, some research presentations were made from the archaeological viewpoint on Liatong, Lelang, and Taifang Commanderies, bases for expansion by dynasties in the Central Plains into the Eastern regions in the Han, Wei, and Jin periods; other presentations focused on the results of philological historical research on the Han region adjacent to these Commanderies, described in the "Shanguo-zhi" Wei Chih Wo-jen Chuan. In the first half of the morning session of the second day, following the previous day, some researchers presented the results of their archaeological research on tombs and acropolises in the northern part of the Central Plains (the area from Bing zhou to Liatong Commandery) in the period described in the Shanguo-zhi" Wei Chih Wo-jen Chuan. In the second half of the morning session of the workshop, one of the researchers made a presentation of the results of his/her archaeological research on exchanges between Han and Wo from both sides, and another made a presentation on the royal power of Wo and its foreign exchanges from the philological viewpoint, based on the Section on Eastern Provincial Barbarian Races of the "Shanguo-zhi." Further, during the afternoon session of the workshop, some researchers made presentations from philological or archaeological points of view on Ugan，Xianbei，Bueyo，Okjeo，and Gonguryeo, located along the periphery of the area of research mentioned above.

As the second Workshop was open to the public, many researchers other than the cooperative researchers of the group and students participated in it. Therefore, unexpected questions and responses came up, providing the group with matter for consideration. It was also an achievement that all the results of this research were shared with other researchers.

Further, as 2007 is the last year of the group's research project, it is scheduled to release to the public the results of the research so far and publish them in a book form in 2008 as the National Museum of Japanese History Research Report.

Progress

Progress

Workshops were held totally thrice in each of the locations of the National Museum of Japanese History, Iki City (Iki Island), Nagasaki Pref. and in Seoul, Korea.

Result

At the first Workshop, the group discussed the status quo of the field surveys of various countries and tribes referred to in the "Shanguo-zhi" Wei Chih Wo-jen Chuan (the countries and tribes of Gonguryeo, Bueyo, Okjeo, Yilou, Ye, Han and Wo). The group has agreed to conduct perambulations of the provinces mentioned above from the end of October until the beginning of November every year for three years from the time of the first workshop onward.

During the perambulation of Iki Island, which was the second Workshop, the group visited Hara-no-Tsuji and the Karakami site to see the old remains and observe the excavation survey site and investigated artifacts that had been carried in from the Korean peninsula. As this earthenware of foreign origin excavated at the Hara-no-Tsuji site, Iki Island, seems to have included earthenware not only from Lelang Commandery but also from Liatong Commandery, in North-east China, it can be surmised that there had been such wide-ranging international exchanges as described in "Shanguo-zhi" Wei Chih Wo-jen Chuan. Four cooperative researchers made research presentations on issues related to Lelang Commandery and discussed iron and ironware indicative of exchanges between the Korean peninsula and Japan in the period under scrutiny with other participating cooperative researchers.

At the third Workshop, the group made a field survey of the watershed areas of the Han and Imjin Rivers in Korea. The group visited the Kapyong Daeseong-ri site and remains and inspected remains and artifacts presently under an excavation survey and investigation. The group was able to confirm that not only local earthenware but also earthenware and artifacts of Lelang origin had been continually excavated from sites related to the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Further, the group made a perambulation of mountain castles and earthwork constructed around the Han and Imjin River basins by Gonguryeo in the process of the southward expansion of its domain and power, as one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea succeeding to the previously mentioned site periods, and inspected the excavation sites.

The group made academic exchanges with researchers from the Seoul National University Museum，the Hanshen University Museum，and the Land Museum. At the Hanshen University Museum, AZUMA Ushio, the Head of the Research Team, made a presentation and had a discussion with Korean researchers. At the Korean Archaeology Convention held on November 5–6, the group was able to access the latest information with regard to research on the Three Kingdoms of Korea that was closely related to our research in terms of periods of time and locations covered.

In particular, through research presentations made by cooperative researchers at workshops and surveys held three times in total for the year 2005, the group became familiar with the recent research trends in Japan and in Korea with regard to the times of "Shanguo-zhi" Wei Chih Wo-jen Chuan. During the field surveys on Iki Island and in Korea, by understanding the process of the influx of related artifacts of those days from Lelang Commandery and North-east China, the group came to conclusions on the depths of exchanges in various provinces. From now on, the group is scheduled to continue its research by expanding the scope of its survey to include Lelang Commandery and North-eastern provinces that had exchanges with Wo and the contries of Han, and in which Han and Wei in China gained ground.

Historical Research on Exchange and Cultural Change

B. Comparative Research on International Exchange and Cultural Acceptance of Wa from the 6 th-century Burial System

List of Collaborative Research