Japan Press Weekly

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2015 November 25 - December 1 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Artifacts unearthed in Henoko designated as cultural assets

The cultural property division of the Okinawa prefectural government on November 27 designated buried artifacts unearthed at the construction site of a new U.S. base at Henoko in Nago City as prefectural cultural assets.

In October, 17 artifacts of earthenware, ceramic ware, stoneware, and other stone objects were excavated around the area of Henoko Cape and on the northern shore of U.S. Camp Schwab where new military facilities are planned to be located.

Experts found that these artifacts are earthenware, grinding stones, and core stone tools of the late shell-mound period of Okinawan archaeology (2,000 - 800 years ago) as well as unglazed pots of the early modern period.

Photos of these prefectural treasures are not yet available to the public because the U.S. military has withheld consent.

Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu at a press conference held on the same day said, “I will start procedures to apply to the Okinawa prefectural government to include the area on the list of protected cultural ruins.

If registered as protected ruins, they will be subject to excavation assessments and measurements based on the Cultural Assets Preservation Act.

Inside the premises of U.S. Camp Schwab, an anchor stone, later designated as a cultural property, was also found this year.

Past related articles:
> Earthenware and stoneware artifacts excavated in Henoko [November 6, 2015]
> Cultural property found at construction site of new US base in Henoko [July 1, 2015]