Archaeology and Technology: the IRIAE Expedition in Japan with the Support of Panasonic TOUGHBOOK

The summer of 2025 saw a team of archaeologists from IRIAE, the International Research Institute for Archaeology and Ethnology, embark on a fascinating mission to Tsushima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture. In July, the researchers explored the Onigasaki promontory in search of traces left by Japanese Neolithic communities that lived more than ten thousand years ago.

This ambitious international project was designed to investigate how these ancient populations adapted to a constantly changing environment, shaped by the gradual rise in sea levels and exposure to extreme weather events such as typhoons. Excavations uncovered obsidian tools imported from neighbouring islands, local quartz artefacts and large stone weights used for fishing. These finds reveal both a deep knowledge of the marine ecosystem and the sophisticated survival strategies of communities able to make the most of natural resources.

The result marks an important step forward in our understanding of Japan’s earliest maritime communities and a tangible example of how innovation can make a real difference in uncovering and safeguarding humanity’s historical memory.