Onaka Archaeological Park is situated in Hyogo Prefecture, the west of Japan. It is the settlement in the Yayoi Period dates from AD150 to AD250. There are 7 reconstructed buildings and 2 Museums in the park.
Onaka archaeological site was discovered by 3 junior high school students in 1962, and since then the excavation and archaeological research have been conducted by Hyogo prefectural Board of Education and Harima town office.
22 excavations have revealed the landscape of Japanese ancient village in 2-3th century. A number of archaeological artifacts and 133 dwellings, 12 graves were found in the site. In particular, the archaeological site is characterized by the discovery of various types of dwellings and a fragment of ancient Chinese bronze mirror. In 1967, the site was designated as a historic site by the Japanese government.
Onaka Archaeological Park opened in 1974. At that time there was only one dwelling, but with the cooperation of local residents, seven dwellings have now been reconstructed. These are made of organic materials such as reed grown in a pond next to the site. The dwellings are based on archaeological evidence found on the site and hexagonal and octagonal dwellings that are characteristic of Hyogo are reconstructed.
In 1985, Harima Town Local Museum opened to exhibit archaeological artifacts found in the park. Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology has opened from 2007 in the park to further research and study Onaka archaeological site and other historic sites in Hyogo.
Nowadays, the site is run by Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology. Many local residents visit the site to enjoy various activities such as studying local history, making ancient wooden products and weaving in a dwelling. In addition, more than 10,000 elementary school students visit the park every spring and they participate in a range of hands-on activities.
