Hello everyone, how are you？
It is getting warmer here at Aso finally, and Sakura, the cherry blossoms start blooming!!
We had a phone call from Mr.Yuasa, an old guy who is taking care of local historic assets at Uchinomaki hot spring area, the other day.
And he said some interesting key words … “Ruis from 30,000 years ago” “ Evidence people were living there” ”Tools made of Obsidians”…
How can you stop yourself from seeing him or hearing his story?
No,I couldn’t….!
Then I made an appointment and met him at Aso grass land conservation center, Mr.Yuasa wrote a couple books about Aso, and his books were donated there. I would like to read them when I have time.
And here he is! Ta-da! He showed up with his treasure!
These obsidian rocks and tools (some of them looked like arrows, spatulas, knives and axes) were found at 2 ruins located at the northern outer rim.
These 2 ruins were already investigated in detail 18 years ago and the archaeologists found some evidence that people were living there 23,000 years ago and also 30,000 year ago!
Mr.Yuasa went back with his friends who knew or were interested in archaeology or geology the other day, on Mar.20th.
He said he was getting old (well he looks really good for his age,82-year-old), and he was keen to pass his knowledge and experience to the young generation.
Nagakura ruin and Zogahana ruin are both on the top of northern outer rim and they have very open view so that they must have been the best places for hunting.
Aso had 4 enormous eruptions from 240,000 year ago to 90,000 years ago. And the last one was the largest eruption which made this huge caldera.
No ruins from the stone age have been found inside caldera. Around 500 B.C., we can see on the map of ruins that people started coming down to the bottom of caldera finally.
It is considered that Aso caldera was filled with water till then.
In spring, we have more chance to see the sea of clouds in Aso.
Every time I see the caldera filled with clouds, the view reminds me of the story about the people who were hunting at the pyroclastic plateau outside of the outer rim. The view of caldera lake must have been similar to what I look….
Mr. Yuasa let me touch his treasure.
The tools probably made by people who were living in Aso 30,000 years ago were on my palm.
It was really impressive.
Aso never stops stimulating my intellectual curiosity!
Why don’t you cultivate and satisfy your curiosity in Aso with us?
Kana
