Makoto Sahara

Makoto Sahara ( Japanese 佐 原 真 , Sahara Makoto ; born May 25, 1932 in Uehon, Osaka , Osaka Prefecture ; † July 10, 2002 ), was a Japanese archaeologist.

Life

Makoto was born in 1932 in Uehon, the second son of Tadao and Kayo Sahara. At the suggestion of his tutor, he already read journal articles by Kōsaku Hamada in elementary school . During this time he moved with his family to Tokyo, where in 1947 he took part in lectures for the middle school of the "Anthropological Society of Japan". Thereby he got to know Sugao Yamanouchi , a capacity in the field of typology of ceramics of the Jōmon period . Yamanouchi became Sahara's teacher and remained his mentor until his death. Sahara learned German at the Osaka Foreign Language School and received his doctorate in archeology from the University of Kyoto .

He worked for a long time at the Archaeological Research Institute of Nara Prefecture in Kashihara . In 1981 he became head of research at the Center for Soil Monuments, and in 1992 he became head of the entire Center for Soil Monuments. He was also involved in the planning of the " National Museum of History ", which he also headed from 1997 to 2001. When he gave up this position in 2001, he donated around 7000 books from his possession to the Chatan City Library in Okinawa , which are kept there as the “Sahara Collection”.

Sahara's research focused on the Yayoi period . He dealt with both the living conditions in prehistoric times and the origins of the Japanese. With easily understandable lectures and his constant struggle to found museums, he has made a name for himself in public awareness and dissemination of archeology. He also advocated the preservation of excavation sites, such as the Yoshinogari site ( 吉野 ヶ 里 遺跡 ). In an effort to create a comprehensive scientific view, Sahara endeavored throughout his life to look at and conduct research across disciplines.

Sahara was a staunch opponent of the " equestrian people theory " of his colleague Namio Egami . The scientific dispute can be found in a separate publication ( 騎馬 民族 は 来 た!? 来 な い!? 江 上 波夫 VS 佐 原 真 , for example: " Did the equestrian peoples come? Or did they not? Egami vs. Sahara"), in which the Arguments of the two opponents are shown.

Works

• Makoto Sahara: 弥 生土 器 (roughly: pottery of the Yayoi period ). In: 日本 の 美術 (Japanese Art), No. 125, 1976
• Makoto Sahara: 縄 文 土 器 (roughly: pottery of the Jōmon period ). In: 日本 の 原始 美術 (Primitive Japanese Art), No. 2, 1979
• Makoto Sahara: 銅 鐸 (roughly: Dōtaku ). In: 日本 の 原始 美術 (Primitive Japanese Art), No. 7, 1979
• Makoto Sahara: 騎馬 民族 は 来 な か っ た (for example: The horsemen did not come ). NHK, Tokyo, 1993
• Makoto Sahara: 斧 の 考古学 (for example: archeology of (stone) axes ). Todai University Publishing House, Tokyo, 1994
• Makoto Sahara: 食 の 考古学 (roughly: archeology of food ). Todai University Publishing House, Tokyo, 1996

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} 佐 原 真 . In: デ ジ タ ル 版 日本人 名 大 辞典 + Plus at kotobank.jp. Retrieved January 5, 2014 (Japanese).