Abstract
Ryukyu lime stone constructing the large part of the Ryukyu Islands is good for preserving fossils. Okinawa prefecture is one of the greatest locality producing late Pleistocene animal and human fossils in East Asia. When we look for those fossils, it is important to focus on the landscape such as water catchment area, caves, fissures, and the outcrops at the cliff.
The landscape is important also when we look for archaeological sites, because the life of the prehistoric humans must have been closely linked to their natural environment including the geological environment. For example, the Bugeido cave in the 'gangara valley' at Nanjo-shi, Okinawa, was used as the living and burial site. This cave has formed through three stages. Firstly, the cave was formed by the flow of the Yuhigawa river. Secondly, the cave-in of the ceiling made the sunlight and the wind come into the cave. Thirdly, the flow of the river changed and the floor of the cave hall dried. This process made the cave available for people to live. After this process, Jomon people used this cave for living and making burials.
Thus, by focusing on the life of the prehistoric humans, we can imagine it has linked to the geological environment changing through quite long time scale. Geo-tour from this perspective may attract the people who have interest in fossils or prehistoric life.
