周防地方住民の体質人類学的研究

抄録

During the period of a year and five months (May 1958-October 1659), I have from the standpoint of constitutional anthropology, made measurements of the living bodies (trunk, limbs, head, face, etc.) of 565 adult males and 325 adult females who are the inhabitants of the SuhO district of Yamaguchi Prefecture. I have made detailed observations based upon the measurement values and index values of 27 items, and have made a comparative study with those of other districts. The following is the result, although here I have restricted the comparative study to adult males.
1) The average height of the SuhO district males is 159.98cm and belongs to the “small” group according to Martin's height classification, but as a Japanese adult male they belong to the “below medium” group. Their measurements resemble those of the adult males of the districts of Tosa, Takachiho, Kaga plain, and South Noto.
2) The maximum length of the head measured 184.00mm, resembling that of the peoples of Shinshu-Iida, Izumo, and Koma, while the maximum width of the head measured 151.70mm., resembling that of Tosa, Oku-Noto, Bitchu, and Izumo.
3) The index number of the length and width of the head is 82.65, belonging to the small-head type, far exceeding the average index value of 81.31 of the district measured by Dr. Koya. This reveals the fact that the maximum length of the head is short in comparison to its maximum width. As seen in view of Martin's head classification, 44.15% of the SuhO district males belong to the 'small head type, and 31.86% to the medium head type. The classification curve and T.D. strongly resembles that of the adult males of Izumo, Koma, Harima, Yamato, Inaba, and Shinshu-Kami-Ina. The resemblance to the Ainu of Hokkaido and to the people of Etcha is negligible.
4) Comparing the SuhO district males with those of other districts according to the M.T.D., those of the Koma, Yamato, Izumo, Harima, Bitchu, East Saitama, and Shinshu-Iida, reveal a M.T.D. of below 5.50. This is an interesting discovery in view of the fact that the districts just mentioned all retain the history of immigration from the Asian Mainland. On the other hand, the people of Etcha and Noto who are considered to be of Ainu origin, together with the Ainu of HokkaidO, reveal a M.T.D. of over 12.00, and the relationship is vague.
From the above data the general conclusion can be drawn that the people of SuhO district, judging from the measurement results of the various qualities of the highest value in constitutional anthropology, are highly similar to the Yamato, Izumo, Bitchaand Koma people, descendants of immigrants from the Asian Mainland and who had boasted of the highest form of civillization in Japan, and also to the peoples who held active communication with the Asian Mainland. The Suho people had relations with the Yamato dynasty since the era of the tenth Emperor Sujin and went under the leadership of the Yamato dynasty by the time it completed the unification of the country around the middle of the fourth century. They thus were able to prosper, and due to dommunication facilities they probably received the influence of both the Sanyo and San-in sides of the mountainous area, and further by constitutional anthropological study, they show strong racial affiliality to the peoples of Yamato and Izumo. It is also an interesting fact to note that they also show a strong resemblance to the peoples of Bitcht and Harima situated along the Sanyo highway.