Report from RAB (including a hi-res video of work being done) -https://news.ntv.co.jp/n/rab/category/society/ra525ab49fcf3047ddb7f3fea1b2815693

A joint Japanese-Bradford archaeological survey has begun at Lake Ogawara in Tohoku Town, where a joint Japanese-British archaeological investigation is underway.

The survey, which began on March 17th, is being conducted jointly by the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto City and the University of Bradford in the UK.

Boring surveys will start on March 24th, and geological layers will be collected based on the lakebed topography determined by underwater sonar.

Currently, five underwater archaeological sites dating from the Early Jomon period to the Yayoi period are registered at Lake Ogawara.

The purpose of the survey is to clarify the topography and environmental changes from 15,000 to 17,000 years ago, during the initial Jomon period. The

survey site on March 24th was a shallow area on the north side, and although it was difficult to collect geological layers due to the sandy bottom, some shells and other materials were found, and the contents will be confirmed after all surveys are completed.

Professor Yasuhisa Kondo of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature
: "Our aim is to find traces of the lives of Jomon people who used pottery, so that we can understand how their lives changed amid the changes in each lake. We hope to find that evidence."

The survey will run until March 27th, and the results are expected to be published at the earliest in one year.