San'nai-Maruyama Ruins三内丸山遺跡

The largest ruins of a traditional village, dating from 4,000 to 5,500 years ago. Stepping into this region is like taking a step back in time.

The San'nai-Maruyama Ruins in the southwest of Aomori are the largest ruins of a Jomon-period (about 10,500-300 BC) village in Japan, and are estimated to date from 4,000 to 5,500 years ago. As the excavation advanced, it became clear that the ruins were of a large village that had existed for more than 1,500 years—something that excited the archeological world. At present, most of the excavated items have been reburied for preservation, but a few excavation sites and artifacts are on display, giving you a sense of ancient times.

In one site measuring about 120,000 square meters, several buildings have been restored: a large building made with pillars sunk into the ground, a large dwelling built into a dugout, and a warehouse with a raised floor. The large building made with pillars sunk into the ground was a great discovery, because it showed that people at that time possessed high-level construction techniques, and refuted the previously held theory that the techniques to construct this kind of building had not been developed during that era. Also, the large dwelling built into a dugout is a huge construction, measuring 32 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 8 meters high.

In the exhibition room, you can see interesting items such as flat clay figures, earthenware, personal ornaments, and small knitted baskets called "Jomon pochette." If you want a guided explanation while looking at the exhibits, a volunteer from the San'nai-Maruyama Supporters' Group will be happy to show you round the exhibits.