英文摘要 |
The year 2000 was a bad year in Japanese archaeology. The stone artifacts in early and middle Paleolithic sites in Japan were found to be forgeries planted by the amateur archaeologist Fujimura Shinichi. This scandal destroyed the credibility of the existence of the early and middle Paleolithic in Japan. The disgraced Fujimura took all the blame and responsibilities. Playing the victim role, government agencies, regional governments, the media and academia joined the chorus of Fujimura bashing.This paper examines the ideologies behind the early and middle Paleolithic frauds in Japan, showing that it was indeed a conspiracy involving government agencies, regional governments, the media, and academia. Fujimura's problematic archeological discoveries were used by the officials, scholars and journalists to pursue their political and intellectual agenda. Through textbooks, museums and designated cultural assets, the officials of the central government used Fujimura's findings to enhance national pride and cultural nationalism. Regional governments strove to promote local identity and tourism. The academia and media added fuel to the fire by supporting and promoting Fujimura's findings. |