Abstract
This article examines tooth eruption and wear patterns of 45 boar mandibles excavated from the Takeshi site in Chiba Prefecture. The analytical method adopted in this paper follows Niimi (1991). First, the utility of this method is tested using modern wild boar specimens that are older than 0 year. All of these modern specimens were collected in the winter. The results indicate that the method correctly classified the samples into five age groups. Next, the same method was used to classify samples from the Takeshi site into the five age groups. The results indicate that samples that are classified into the age group of 1.5 years old are most abundant, which were followed by those of the age group of 3.5 years old. The hunting or slaughter season was estimated to have been winter. These results help us understand characteristics of boar exploitation by the residents of the Takeshi site. The paper also argues for the need to adopt a more refined method to retrieve boar mandible specimens in the field.
