サルガ鼻燈台洞窟遺跡西岩陰地点の調査

There are many caves along Shimane Peninsula coast, and they are considered sea caves. Some of them were used by the ancient people for dwellings or other purposes, and remain as the archaeological sites. These cave sites are located facing the coastal line, so it is considered that the ancient people who would use or used the cave sites were influenced by the sea level changes or other environmental changes. And for these reasons, researches of the cave sites contribute to not only archaeological studies but also palaeo-environmental studies and so on. With these aims, we planned the excavation of the cave sites, and carried out the excavation at Sarugahana Todai cave site, Mihonoseki Town, Shimane Prefecture, in 1995 and 1996 (Takehiro and Watanabe et al., 1996 ; Takehiro and Ege et al., 1997).
In 1997, we researched the Location rock shelter, 10 m west of Sarugahana Todai cave site.
In this location we found some archaeological remains, Jomon potsherd, obsidian flakes and so on, in 1996's research. This location was probably thought to be the archaeological site, and we carried out a preliminary survey at this location. Judging by the present data, the rock shelter at this location is thought to be formed by the ancient marine erosion, and to be used for the dwelling or other purposes. And this rock shelter is thought to have suffered the marine erosion or other influences continuously after the emergence of the initial shape, so there is also the possibility that the initial shape of this rock shelter was the different form, for example, sea cave and so on. To study f'urther the significance of this location, we need to do more future researches.