Negoyadai Site
archaeological site in Japan

The Negoyadai Site (根古谷台遺跡, Negoyadai iseki) is an archaeological site in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan with a Jōmon period settlement trace and necropolis. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1988 by the Japanese government. It is also referred to as the Seizankōen isseki (聖山公園遺跡).
Overview
The Negoyadai Site is located in the Kamikake neighborhood of Utsunomiya, on the right fluvial terrace of the Sugatagawa River, and was discovered during the construction of the modern Utsunomiya Municipal Cemetery. Per excavations carried out from 1982 to 1988, and the remains of pit dwellings, square pillar buildings, and more than 339 grave pits were discovered. The grave pits were grouped in clusters of five to ten pits per group, and are arranged so as to surround a central plaza. Each grave is around one meter in diameter, with a depth of 50-60 centimetres. Several of the pit dwellings were unusually large, over eight meters long and with several hearths, indicating that more than one family unit resided in the same building. Likewise, some of the rectangular raised-floor buildings were unusually large, with a length of 14 to 24 meters. As the size of the necropolis is far larger than the number of buildings would normally indicate, it is assumed that this was more of a ritual site rather than a settlement location.
The public source identifies “Negoyadai Site” as archaeological site in Japan. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Negoyadai, Site and archaeological.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Negoyadai Site”, the useful work is to connect “archaeological site in Japan” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q11536246. Authority coordinates are 36.535, 139.833. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1988 and 1982.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Negoyadai Site”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Negoyadai Site primary sources, Negoyadai Site archive and Negoyadai research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Negoyadai Site”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Negoyadai Site” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.