Wakasugiyama Site
The is an archaeological site with the traces of a late Yayoi to early Kofun period cinnabar production site, located in the Suii neighborhood of the city of Anan, Tokushima on the island of Shikoku in Japan. It was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 2019. Overview Cinnabar, the raw material for vermilion, is found in crystalline form in exposed quartz veins the limestone and chert slopes on the west side of the Wakasugitani River, which is a tributary of the Naka River that flows eastward through southern Tokushima Prefecture. The site is at an elevation of 140 to170 meters one north side of the temple of Tairyū-ji. Its existence was known in the 1950s, but it was not excavated until 1984. Vermillion was used extensively in ancient Japan on dotaku, earthenware, and to decorate the walls of kofun burial chambers, and was used in funeral ceremonies. In the Chinese history Wajinden, it is recorded that cinnabar was a noted product of the Kingdom of Wa and was among the tribute items offered by Queen Himiko to the Cao Wei Court. At the Wakasugiyama site, cinnabar extraction was carried out by breaking the bedrock to expose the quartz