Ofune Jomon Site
Ofune iseki · Hakodate Ofune
Early–Middle Jomon 3500–2000 BCE·Jomon Early–Middle Hokkaido maritime·🇯🇵 Hokkaido, Hakodate City, Minamikayabe district, Ofune River terrace facing Pacific and Mt. Hakamagoshi, Japan
About
About Ofune Jomon Site
Early–Middle Jomon coastal settlement (3500–2000 BCE) on Ofune River terrace facing Uchiura Bay, Hokkaido, renowned for 100+ deep pit graves, stone pile graves, and massive whale-bone midden (sperm whale, dolphin) and 100 deep pit-house foundations including oval 32.5 m longhouse — Japan's largest Jomon house — proving sedentary Pacific fisher-hunter complexity. 10 tons of Jomon pottery and red lacquer fishing floats; UNESCO 2021.
Why it mattersLargest Jomon building proves maritime sedentism without agriculture; whale-bone ritual and lacquer float technology unique.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Longhouse function — communal men's house vs chief's?
- 02Whales hunted vs stranded — active whaling 3000 BCE?
Theories
- 01Maritime Jomon adaptation to Okhotsk–Pacific rich waters
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.3500–2000 BCE Early–Middle Jomon
- Period
- Early–Middle Jomon 3500–2000 BCE
- Culture
- Jomon Early–Middle Hokkaido maritime
- Builders
- Jomon fisher-hunters
- Purpose
- Coastal sedentary fishing-hunting village with communal longhouse
- Abandoned
- c.2000 BCE with sea-level regression
- Rediscovered
- 1970s road survey; excavated 2000–2002 Ministry rescue
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.3500 BCE
First pit-houses and shell midden appear
c.2800 BCE
Great 32.5 m oval longhouse and formal cemetery established
On the ground
Structures & features
41.9600° N · 140.9280° E · 40 m · 1 mapped feature
Large oval longhouse (32.5 m)
longhouse32.5 m communal house with whale mandible pillars
41.9602° N · 140.9282° E