Burial of carbonized standing woods found at the upper Kazamaturi River on the southwest slopes of Fuji volcano, Japan

Abstract

Burial of carbonized standing woods was found in ejecta of Fuji volcano along the upper Kazamaturi River, at an elevation of 800〜950 meters above sea level, on the southwest flank of Fuji volcano. Samples of these woods were radiocarbon-dated at 4130±50yBP. Some of the buried woods were entirely carbonized and their root systems were in the deeper layers. This shows that woods were completely carbonized in situ by hot ejecta of the Fuji volcano. Species composition of the samples suggests that forest distribution of tree species similar to the present ones existed in the area about 4100 years ago.