| Summary: | In this article, the authors intend to introduce a resume of the excavation at the Nikoraevsk Airport 1 site and to review some problems on materials excavated at that site in discussing the distribution and transformation of Okhotsk culture. In 1998, the authors discovered pit dwellings at the Nikolaevsk Airport 1 site at Nikolaevsk na-Amure city in the Khabarovsk region of the Russian Federation, and gathered a fragment of Tebakh culture pottery which resembles that of the Okhotsk culture. Therefore in order to recognize the aspect of Okhotsk culture in the Amur river estuary area, the authors excavated one of the pit dwellings in July, 2001. It is pentagonal in shape, and much resemble the shape of Okhotsk culture residence. Many potteries unearthed belong to the Enoura-A style found in Sakhalin. However, other types made by the paddling technique were also excavated simultaneously. It was thought that such a technique was traditional in Amur estuary area. It was able to confirm that two pottery making traditions, Sakhalin tradition and Amur estuary tradition, existed together for the same time in Okhotsk culture time. Moreover, two small bronze bells, which are Mokhe-Jurchen culture type ones, are noticeable. They indicate that trade route from Amur river basin to Hokkaido in Okhotsk culture time went through Amur river estuary. By analyzing the above materials the authors conclude that Tebakh culture in Amur river estuary area is regional variation of Okhotsk culture, and uniquely developed apart from Sakhalin and Hokkaido in latter period of Okhotsk culture.
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