Show threadAlexandra2d ago
On the way to the Bugeidō Cave, there are tombs in the cliffs on each side, structures that probably are WWII fortifications of the fissure and this (see pic. in french post above), which clearly look like a traditional wooden tomb (cf. live-tooting of the conference a few weeks ago, hashtag #RyukyuLT ).
#EADays #EAD2026 #Archaeology #Okinawa
Alexandra2d ago
Sur le chemin pour aller à la grotte de Bugeidō, y'a des tombes dans les falaises de chaque côté, des structures possiblement pour fortifier le passage (seconde guerre mondiale) et ça, qui ressemble tout de même bigrement aux restes d'une tombe traditionnelle en bois (cf. live-tooting de la conférence y'a quelques semaines hashtag #RyukyuLT ).
#JEArchéo #JEA2026 #Okinawa
AlexandraMay 16
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Unten_harbour_old_tombs
ah, i knew i had uploaded those pics.
(recent wooden tombs in unter harbour)
#RyukyuLT
Category:Unten harbour old tombs - Wikimedia Commons

Show threadAlexandraMay 16

#RyukyuLT there is a nuru-baka in kanna too.

and it's 17:00 and the museum is very strict about time so we cut here suddenly, despite it's evident there is at least 4 hours of discussions and questions left…

Show threadAlexandraMay 16
#RyukyuLT there are people who consider themselves are descendants and pray there, whether they ＊really＊are descendants or not shall not be questionned, archaeology cannot ignore the sacredness of sites just because we want to know.
in the kyuyo there are example when they want to pray for rain, people gather the bones scattered in woods or caves and put them in tombs.
also, the last person put in kanna is a noro, but we don't know if the tomb is particularly related to noro,
Show threadAlexandraMay 16

#RyukyuLT chinese Buddhist decoration → the zushis that come just after the wooden tomb are very chinese-influenced. are the house-shape wooden tombs also an influence of chinese Buddhism ?

in unten, the oldest tombs are the highest ones, it is not sure they were all built by the same group of people.
tombs of ancestors are sacred, they are not used anymore but still sacred, it is difficult to consider them as archaeological sites that belong to everyone and should be surveyed. as long as

Show threadAlexandraMay 16
#RyukyuLT (and i don't say that because i live in urasoe, hiroki just said the same and he's from ginowan)
the rooftiles in urasoe yodore are particularly interesting. it's not just a wooden box, that's a ＊real＊building, not a ＊representation of a building＊. also there was a temple just below, so all those people in the tomb could also be related to the presence of this temple.
relation with Buddhism might be interesting as well. the stone zushis of the yodore come from china. with very clear
Show threadAlexandraMay 16
#RyukyuLT damaged at the same locations as the old one was damaged : there is water dripping at those location.
other tombs also are 1300-1400 ad
urasoe yodore datation of wood and lacquer →some 13, 14, 15th century → old + re-made often.
the bones have been genetically analysed but very bad conservation. datation, not only eiso period but also 14-15th c→ other dynasties as well ? who the hell are those hundreds of people in this single tomb ?
(urasoe gusuku and yodore are very interesting)
Show threadAlexandraMay 16

#RyukyuLT it is thought that the bones in kanna come from scattered bones in the wood around that were gathered in the tomb, probably starting in the 16th c. the bones are neatly arranged in the tomb.

discussion
the origin of the wooden tombs. wooden tombs are old in the bone-washing tradition of okinawa.
kanna wood dated 1300 ad was a surprise, people all thought it was early modern. so they re-dated an other bit, 1240 ad. they gave up and accepted it was old 😁
the current tomb is

Show threadAlexandraMay 16

#RyukyuLT
questions what is the difference between wooden tombs and ita-zushi ?
the size. the wooden tombs really are buildings, and there sometimes are ita-zushi inside.

question about reports : most of them are in libraries

question : bones of ginoza have been analysed ?
those bones are still sacred for the people, we don't forcibly make genetic studies (that's a not hidden reference to japanese researchers who just take the bones and do what they want)

didn't hear the question, but