Curating the Prehistoric Past Studies on West Asian Archaeology and Beyond in Honour of Yoshihiro Nishiaki

This volume presents a collection of research papers on the archaeology of West Asia (the Near and Middle East). The title Prehistoric Past refers to periods preceding written records. In prehistoric archaeology, where textual evidence is absent, scholars reconstruct ancient cultures, technologies, daily lives, and social structures by analyzing architectural remains and artifacts such as stone tools, pottery, and floral and faunal remains. At the University of Tokyo, West Asian prehistoric archaeology has been practiced and advanced for 70 years, and this book represents its current achievement.
 
Following World War II, the University of Tokyo organized the "Tokyo University Iraq-Iran Archaeological Expedition" as the first large-scale overseas project in Japan, investigating ancient village sites in the "Fertile Crescent" and cultural exchange routes between East and West Asia. The vast collection gathered through these excavations is housed at The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT), with catalogs made publicly available online (https://umdb.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/DKoukoga/). Outstanding in both quantity and quality, these materials serve student education and global researchers, making the museum an international research hub. The papers in this book are authored by scholars actively involved in these activities.
 
A common thread uniting the authors and editors is their research and educational connection to Professor Yoshihiro Nishiaki, who served as the director of UMUT until last academic year. The cover photograph features a Neolithic farming village in Syria excavated by Professor Nishiaki, alongside a female clay figurine found there. Over three decades, Professor Nishiaki has directed field excavations, managed the museum's vast collections, provided research opportunities for students and young scholars, and built a broad international, interdisciplinary network.
 
This wide scope is reflected in the diversity of this volume. Chronologically, the studies span the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages. Their subjects cover lithics, pottery, shell ornaments, faunal and floral remains, architecture, burial mounds, and archaeological database. Geographically, while centered on Mesopotamia, the Levant, the Zagros, and Iran, the coverage extends to the Caucasus, the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the Japanese archipelago.
 
Due to increasing academic specialization and subdivision, it has become difficult for individual researchers to cover vast space-time scales and diverse material evidence. However, UMUT maintains a wide range of collection supporting broad research and provides an ideal environment for students and scholars to further their various research activities. The title Curating the Prehistoric Past reflects our belief that long-term curation of such a museum-based research environment is vital to clarifying humanity's past.
 
For students in the Junior Division, reading these technical English papers may seem challenging initially. However, elevating and innovating the quality of research through such international communication and interactions is the true appeal and strength of this field. If you are interested, we encourage you to utilize the museum's rich collections and environment to deepen your knowledge. The authors of this book once followed the same path and are now active on the front lines of international research.
 

(Written by KADOWAKI Seiji, Professor, The University Museum / 2026)