A Bioarchaeological Study on the Utilization of Pigs in the Ryukyu Islands

MARUYAMA Masashi1*, KAMESHIMA Shingo2, TAKAHASHI Ryohei3, and GAKUHARI Takashi3

Okinawa (Ryukyu), located in southwestern Japan, is a group of small islands where the Ryukyu wild boar (Sus scrofa riukiuanus) is the only large terrestrial mammal unearthed at prehistoric sites. This Ryukyu wild boar is a subspecies of the Japanese wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax) and is smaller in body size. Although the domestication of pigs in the prehistory of the Ryukyu Islands has been discussed, their origin remains unclear. This presentation therefore aims to trace the history of pig husbandry in the Ryukyu Islands by introducing the results of analyses conducted on Sus scrofa remains excavated from the medieval Nakagusuku Palace site on Okinawa Island. The Nakagusuku Palace Site was the residence of the prince of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the analyzed materials comprise animal bones predating the palace's construction. Numerous holes of pillar and garbage pits were excavated at this site, where animal bones were unearthed with trade ceramics dating to the 15th–16th centuries. These food remains, discarded within a short period, containing shellfishes, fishes, birds and animals. Sus scrofa is the most frequently excavated mammal, and these may include domesticated animals. We indicate the presence of domestic pigs from three perspectives: mtDNA, stable isotopes, and morphological characteristics.